Glossary
Terms below are project-local: they explain how this codebase names things, not universal AI or neuroscience definitions.
A–Z
ChromaDB / semantic memory
Vector store used for retrieved episodic memory and related passages. Persisted under your configured data root (often chroma_db/ beside SQLite files). Distinct from per-turn chat logs in history.jsonl.
Cognitive plugin
A registered module in cognitive_architecture.py that can expose a background cycle_* handler, a prompt_formatter snippet, or both. Plugins compete for limited prompt space via PromptBudget.
Critic (INFJ_CRITIC_MODEL)
Optional second model pass that reviews the draft reply for grounding and persona rails before sending to the user (when wired in brain.py).
CycleContext
Object passed into plugin cycle handlers: includes being, memory, brain, orchestration clocks, and the last-interaction envelope. See cognitive_architecture.CycleContext.
Distributed Response & Integrated Functional Thought (DRIFT)
Marketing / architecture name for the unified stack described in the root README: companion interface, cognition modules, coordination hooks, persistent memory, and tools.
Drift (mode)
A /mode option with specific guardrail scope (guardrails.mode_scope_rail) plus optional Drift-named memory seeds surfaced when should_include_drift_context fires. Not a separate binary.
drift.py
Deterministic helpers: posture brief text and targeted retrieval queries for seeded Drift concepts. Does not pull code from external private repos.
Global Workspace (global_workspace.py)
Baars-inspired spotlight: limited simultaneous “conscious” entries; modules submit snippets with salience. Persisted via workspace.db when using the default data layout.
Homeostasis (module)
Regulates simulated needs over time (homeostasis.py + SQLite). Influences prompts and dashboards; informal metaphor, not a medical model.
INFJ_DATA_DIR
If set, relocates durable state (Chroma, SQLite DBs, history.jsonl, audits, etc.). Code stays in PROJECT_ROOT. Keeps clones portable and avoids stuffing the repo with runtime data.
IIT / Φ (“phi”)
Integrated-information–inspired metrics and qualia-axis bookkeeping in iit_consciousness.py. Computed proxies for introspection/diagnostics—not a clinical or physics claim.
InfjBrain
Primary LLM wrapper in brain.py: Gemini (and optional Ollama fallback), streaming, tooling hooks where enabled.
InfjMemory
Chroma-backed memory in memory.py: save interactions after secret scrubbing, hybrid search/top‑k, optional document sidecar integrations.
“Jude” / user-facing name
Default narrative name for the human in prompts and seeded content. Replace in your fork if needed.
Layer 1–5
Architectural shorthand in the README: Interface, Cognition, Coordination, Memory, Tools & Safety. Layers overlap in code—it is an organizational map, not a strict dependency DAG.
Ollama
Local inference path via OllamaBridge in local_llm.py when INFJ_USE_LOCAL_FALLBACK is enabled.
PromptBudget
Caps prompt growth by tier (core / cognitive / analysis / context) toward INFJ_MAX_TOTAL_PROMPT_CHARS.
Shadow (shadow.py)
Structured prompt-time excerpts from shadow.db, bounded by env caps (INFJ_SHADOW_PROMPT_*). Jung-influenced metaphor; not diagnosis.
SQLite “state brains”
Many subsystems (being, embodiment, homeostasis, shadow, etc.) persist orthogonal state as .db files under INFJ_DATA_DIR or PROJECT_ROOT.
Related
- Mechanics and flow: HOW_INFJ_BOT_WORKS.md
- Terms for credentials and scope: SECURITY.md