A practical way to overcome the memory limits of AI models (Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini) by externalizing memory into files, without writing code.
Problem
- AI models have limited memory.
- When processing many files (e.g., dozens of transcripts), they “forget” parts of the content, lose context, or hallucinate.
- Even large files that are “accepted” are not always read in full.
Solution
- Use a tool that allows the AI to read and write local files (e.g., Claude Desktop / Claude Code).
- These files act as persistent notes, allowing the AI to resume work after its internal memory is “reset.”
The 4 components of the system
- Data: files to be processed (transcripts, emails, tickets, documents, etc.).
- Context (context.md): describes the main objective of the task.
- Checklist / To-dos (todos.md): list of steps/files to process, marked as progress is made.
- Insights (insights.md): where the AI continuously saves extracted results.
How the cycle works
- The AI processes the files.
- It continuously updates the three documents.
- When internal memory runs out:
- The process continues until everything is completed, maintaining quality.
Setup (no code)
- Install Claude Desktop.
- Use Code mode to allow local read/write access.
- Select the folder containing the files.
- Use a structured prompt that specifies:
Standard prompt structure
- Goal: what to analyze/extract.
- Before you start: create the three files.
- As you work: update insights and checklist.
- After memory reset: reread context and to-dos.
- Final constraint: continue until everything is completed.
Use case examples
- Extract customer language for marketing and copywriting.
- Create real FAQs from conversations.
- Map sales objections.
- Identify churn signals.
- Prioritize leads in old email archives.
- Generate feature ideas from recurring requests.
Conclusion
- “Unlimited memory” comes from external files, not from the model itself.
- With context + checklist + insights, AI can work for hours without losing quality.
- The method is reusable for virtually any type of data or objective.