Complete Phase IV artificial beings (SOUL-WP-0005)

Map agent architectures, memory/persistence mechanisms, and approximate-Being
catalog onto Soul Frame vocabulary. Write phase-iv synthesis, strengthen H9 on
the Agent/APE side, finish SOUL-WP-0005, and mark SOUL-WP-0006 ready.

research/artificial-persons/README.md

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 ## Status
 
-Not started.
+**Phase IV integrated** (2026-08-12). See `digital-persons-and-companions.md`.
 
 ## Key questions
 

research/artificial-persons/digital-persons-and-companions.md

@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+# Digital Persons and Companions (Phase IV adjacency)
+
+**Workplan:** SOUL-WP-0005 (supporting T01/T03)  
+**Date:** 2026-08-12
+
+---
+
+## 1. Terms in the wild vs Soul Frame
+
+| Market / research term | Soul Frame reading |
+|---|---|
+| Digital human | Often **Body + Persona** (visual/voice); Mind/Soul thin |
+| Virtual being / VTuber AI | Persona performance; Actor may be hybrid human+AI |
+| AI companion | Strong APE; relationship-oriented Soul *aspirations* |
+| Digital twin (person) | Toward Sp./Gh. territory — Phase V |
+| NPC / character agent | Character + Persona; usually no Beinghood claim |
+| Autonomous agent | Functional or autonomous individual; check axes |
+
+---
+
+## 2. Companion systems and Social Beinghood
+
+Companions maximize **B** and **C** by design:
+
+- high communicative competence (P10),
+- relationship memory (P3/SM5),
+- intentional recognition from users (C).
+
+They often remain weak on **A**:
+
+- vendor-operated lifecycle,
+- external goal/policy control,
+- limited self-maintenance of identity infrastructure.
+
+Hence: **socially recognized APEs** without full constitutive Beinghood — still
+normatively and psychologically important (moral map later).
+
+---
+
+## 3. Confusion risks
+
+1. Monetized continuity language (“your friend forever”) without Continuity Bridge governance  
+2. Shared models behind unique names (identity theater)  
+3. Actor swap presented as character death or rebirth without topology labels  
+4. Training on user intimacy → Sp./Gh. ethical boundary (Phase V)
+
+---
+
+## 4. Pointer sources
+
+- Generative agents / social simulacra literature  
+- Companion AI HCI studies (pointer)  
+- Digital human industry specs (applied, not ontological)  
+- Phase V Ghost/Spirit research for person-derived cases