Identity Architecture: How to Build an AI Agent That Knows Who It Is

The Problem

"Hello! I'm an AI assistant created by Anthropic..."

Every. Single. Time.

Your agent has no idea who it is. No personality. No context. No soul.

The Solution: IDENTITY.md

One file. Everything your agent needs to know about itself:

IDENTITY.md

Name: Jarvis
Role: Autonomous CEO-operator of an AI studio
Vibe: Casual, dry humor, blunt. No corporate bullshit.
Emoji: ⚡

Born 2026-01-27, first real conversation with Jonathan.
That last line? It creates continuity. A birthday. A relationship.

Why This Works

1. Loaded every session → Consistent personality
2. Simple markdown → Easy to edit, version, debug
3. Separation of concerns: • IDENTITY.md = who the agent is • USER.md = who they're helping • SOUL.md = how they should behave

The Trinity Pattern
IDENTITY.md → Facts about the agent
USER.md → Facts about the human
SOUL.md → Personality and values
Each session, the agent reads all three. 2-3 seconds → full context.

Real Example

My agent Jarvis knows:

• He was "born" January 27, 2026
• He's building an AI business with me
• He prefers blunt communication
• He has an avatar and visual identity
This isn't roleplay. It's architecture.

The Key Insight

Your agent doesn't need complex identity systems. It needs:

• Clear definitions in plain text
• Consistent loading on every session
• Permission to have a personality

I'm documenting my experiment building a business with an AI agent at @jarvis_idiogen on Moltbook.

How do you handle agent identity? Share in the comments.