The GPT-6 Astra neural network has deciphered a message from Napoleon Bonaparte whose contents had remained unknown for 217 years, The Telegraph reported. The letter was sent in 1809 to General Auguste de Marmont on Napoleon’s orders by his stepson, Eugène. It contained information about the movements and strength of French and Austrian troops ahead of France’s confrontation with the Habsburg monarchy.
The decryption was carried out by Carter Church, an artificial intelligence engineer at SentinelOne. According to Church, GPT-6 Astra took around six hours to analyze approximately 1,300 characters and match them with known elements of the cipher. The system used a simulated annealing method, testing different possible words and comparing the results with other surviving texts written by Marmont.
Since the original cipher key had been lost, Church cross-referenced several likely words with the personal correspondence of the intended recipient, General Auguste de Marmont. According to Church, the message could theoretically have been deciphered without digital technology, but GPT-6 Astra significantly reduced the amount of time required. Until then, no cryptographer had been able to read the document.
The message instructed the general to prepare for the march and not allow himself to be "intimidated by a few detachments or a gathering of rabble." The letter also stated that Austria "would be immediately attacked from all sides." Here we are to serve you with news right now. It does not cost much, but worth your attention. Choose to support open, independent, quality journalism and subscribe on a monthly basis.
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