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AI decodes 217-year-old Napoleonic letter in 6 hours
euronews.com • • world
Key Points:
- AI model GPT-6 Astra successfully decoded a 200-year-old encrypted letter from 1809, originally ordered by Napoleon and sent to French General Auguste de Marmont, revealing troop positions during a tense pre-war period in Europe.
- The letter, encrypted using a homophonic substitution cipher, was transcribed and deciphered by the AI in about six hours, a feat that had eluded researchers for decades.
- The decoded message detailed the positioning of Bavarian, Polish, and French forces and indicated Austria's impending multi-front attack, with Napoleon instructing caution and confidence to Marmont.
- Engineer Carter Church led the AI-driven decryption process, published the full research including transcription and cypher tables, and re-dated the document to late March 1809, shortly before Austria's offensive.
- The solution was verified by cryptography expert Satoshi Tomokiyo, who confirmed the cipher as solved, marking a significant advancement in historical document decryption using AI technology.
