“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.” — Sun Tzu, The Art of War. 

“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”

What was once enunciated by the ancient military strategist in his famous work now seems to be evolving not as a tactical gain in warfare but as a pillar of national deterrence. From siege warfare to guerrilla warfare, the post-fact era is undergoing a significant metamorphosis. This shift is changing the dynamics of the world order created after World War II, which still rests on offensive and defensive capabilities. Acknowledging the threat that nation-states may confront, there is a dire need to overcome this form of manipulative warfare. In the following piece, we scrutinize how psychological warfare poses a threat to the existing world order. 

The term psychological warfare, also known as cognitive warfare, has gained profound relevance in the modern era, or what we call the post-Cold War era. For a long time, nation-states exercised military combat — hybrid, guerrilla, naval, air, and ground combat — to secure a diverse range of territories. Today, military superiority has taken a quite distinct trajectory characterized by narrative manipulation and the erosion of people’s cognitive abilities. The aim is to widen the gulf between reality and delusion and to weaken the morale of nation-states. Although the work on psychological warfare was first published by Paul M.A. Linebarger in his book Psychological Warfare (1948), followed by Michael T. Stevens’ The Art of Psychological Warfare (2016), the discussion has regained momentum in recent years. 

Defining Psychological Warfare:

Psychological warfare, occasionally called PsyOps, is rewriting the rules of modern wartime strategies. Most of us associate psychological warfare with propaganda, yet it is a multidimensional concept ranging from technological, social, and economic domains to political exploitation. Analysts define it as the use of propaganda and disinformation, empowered by algorithms, to captivate immature minds by triggering their emotional values, reshaping individuals’ attitudes and perspectives, and disseminating false narratives to serve petty interests. It aims to outmaneuver rivals by mortifying their morale, diminishing their resolve to fight, distorting their cohesion, and obstructing their efforts by anticipating their next move.

Since the advent of AI, both cyberwarfare and PsyOps have gained prominence as the battles are fought more through technology than through direct military confrontation. This seismic shift—from bullets to algorithms—has blurred the line between war and peace, creating a new reality in which the human mind has become the ultimate battlefield. Previously, battles were carried out to defeat the enemy, but now, defeating cognitive abilities has become an instrument of deterrence.

Background: Transformation from Deceit to Defense

Psychological warfare is not a new concept; its roots are deeply entrenched in ancient civilizations. Before the advancement of technology, ancient........

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