feat: local persistent memory with embedded vector store (no vendor lock-in)

[andrewchumchal]

Feature Request

Local, fully user-owned persistent memory using an embedded vector store — no cloud sync, no vendor lock-in, portable and private.

Motivation

ChatWise and Claude have memory features but they're tied to vendor backends. Jan has no memory. Users want the model to remember things across conversations (preferences, project context, past decisions) but they don't want that data leaving their machine or locked in a proprietary format.

Scope

• Embedded vector store (sqlite-vss, LanceDB, or similar — ships with the app, no install required)
• Auto-embed and index conversation summaries after each session
• Manual "pin this to memory" action on any message
• Memory viewer: browse, search, and delete stored entries
• Inject relevant memories as context at conversation start (RAG-style)
• Export all memories as JSON (full portability)
• Memory is stored in user's app data directory, never transmitted

Notes

This is a strong privacy-first differentiator. The pitch: "Your AI remembers everything — and it all stays on your machine." Pairs well with local model support (Ollama) for a fully local stack.