What Is a vCon? A memory layer for AI communication A vCon is a virtualized conversation. A structured, portable, machine-readable memory object that represents a communication event. If a conversation is an experience, a vCon is its memory. What a vCon contains Everything a conversation needs to be remembered correctly Participants Communication channels used Interaction timing Surrounding context Derived insights Governance information Not just us saying this An open standard, not a vendor's idea vCon is being standardized in the open, by the same body that gave us TCP/IP and TLS, and it already has a technical spec and a foundation behind it. IETF vCon Working Group An active IETF working group, the same standards body behind TCP/IP and TLS, standardizing how conversational data is packaged and exchanged. datatracker.ietf.org/group/vcon Conserver.io An open IETF standard for packaging the parties, the dialog, the recording or transcript, the consent, and the analysis into one signed, portable JSON object. conserver.io The vCon Foundation vCons must be safe to create, store and share, ensuring user consent. Open, cryptographically verifiable, and designed to be tamper evident. thevconfoundation.com Why vCons matter As AI systems participate in conversations, memory becomes essential. A vCon is robot food for AI. AI systems work from governed memory, not raw transcripts. That distinction is what makes a conversation usable, safely, after it ends. Not a recording vCons are not recordings or transcripts A vCon is a memory container that binds structure, context, and permissions together. A call recording is raw audio. A transcript is raw text. A vCon is what a system can actually act on, safely. Governed memory by design Access, reuse, and retention are part of the object itself Governance defines access permissions, reuse parameters, purpose limitations, and retention duration. It travels with the conversation, not around it. vCons and AI communication Systems built on vCons remember, and they are accountable for it They remember interactions, maintain context, respect consent, and demonstrate accountability. That is the difference between an AI system that responds and one that can be trusted with a relationship. Join us in Atlanta, Georgia. Help shape what comes next. This is where the vCon Summit, October 13, brings this idea into the room.