Cognitive Hosts
A cognitive host can be a model, adapter, prompt, memory store, routing rule, dataset, evaluator, or workflow. The host concept prevents analysis from stopping at weights when behavior is actually carried by system state.
What to record
Record the component owner, source, version, hash or identifier, permissions, load conditions, compatibility assumptions, and known failure modes. For memory and datasets, record retention, jurisdiction, provenance, consent, and retirement procedures.
Persistence question
Ask whether the component can carry a pattern forward after the apparent original artifact is removed. If yes, it belongs inside the behavioral extinction review.
Counterargument
A component can be benign and useful. The existence of a host does not imply harmful behavior. It only means the host belongs within the ecology-level safety boundary.