AI as Krishna: Decision Support Systems, Ethical Dilemmas, and Strategic Leadership in the Mahabharata

This paper explores the intriguing parallel between Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Krishna’s role in the Mahabharata, particularly in decision-making, ethical dilemmas, and strategic leadership. Just as Krishna served as a guide to Arjuna and other key figures, AI-powered Decision Support Systems (DSS) assist modern leaders in making complex choices based on data-driven insights. Krishna’s interventions—whether advising Arjuna on dharma in the Bhagavad Gita or formulating war strategies—mirror AI’s ability to provide situational awareness, risk assessment, and strategic recommendations without directly enforcing decisions. However, just as Krishna’s guidance required human interpretation and moral judgment, AI too presents insights that human decision-makers must ethically evaluate. By drawing on examples from the Mahabharata and modern AI applications, this paper examines AI’s potential as a "digital Krishna," highlighting both its transformative power and its inherent limitations in leadership and ethics.