In 1971, Chile ran a live experiment in cybernetic governance at national scale. It was called Project Cybersyn. Factory managers sent daily production data ove
Project Cybersyn was a 1971 Chilean experiment in cybernetic governance, utilizing a national telex network to send factory production data to an IBM mainframe for statistical anomaly detection. The system aimed to manage complexity without collapse, with decisions made by humans in a circular room featuring displays. This ambitious project was abruptly ended by a CIA-backed military coup in 1973, which also led to the destruction of its Operations Room and the death of President Salvador Allende. AI