In the 4th Century BCE, a Brahmin named Vishnugupta (Chanakya) destroyed the Nanda Empire and installed Chandragupta Maurya as the first Emperor of a united India. He wrote a treatise called the Arthashastra (The Science of Material Gain). It is often compared to Machiavelli's The Prince, but that is a disservice. Machiavelli wrote advice on how to hold power. Chanakya wrote the source code for a totalitarian welfare state.
Chanakya argued that the King must be the "Eye" of the state. He established a massive network of spies (Gudhapurusha). Spies disguised as monks, as merchants, as beggars. Spies watching the ministers. Spies watching the people. Information was the currency of the Mauryan Empire.
Chanakya described the natural state of the world as Matsya Nyaya—where the big fish eat the small fish. Anarchy. The purpose of the State (The Danda, or Rod) is to prevent this. To impose order. In the AI Age, the Big Fish are the Superintelligences (Corporate or State). The small fish are the individuals. Does AI reinforce Matsya Nyaya, or does it solve it?
- Saam: Conciliation / Diplomacy.
- Daan: Gifts / Bribery / Economics.
- Bhed: Dissension / Divide and Conquer.
- Dand: Force / Punishment.
Modern Information Warfare focuses entirely on Bhed. Algorithms are designed to create dissension. To split populations into tribes. To turn the neighbor against the neighbor. A unified populace is hard to control. A polarized populace is predictable. The Arthashastra instructed the King to send agents to sow discord in enemy states. Today, we call them "Bot Farms." Chanakya would not have feared AI. He would have weaponized it immediately.