Research · 2026-10-20

AI Deciphers Napoleon's Mysterious Letter That Cryptographers Failed to Crack for 217 Years

Artificial intelligence did in a few hours what cipher specialists had failed to do for more than two centuries.

✨ What happened

According to Popular Mechanics, one of Napoleon Bonaparte's secret letters remained undeciphered for more than 217 years. Cryptographers could not read its text, and the letter remained a mystery.

This time, artificial intelligence solved the problem. According to the publication, AI completed the task in about six hours.

📌 Why it's interesting

The ciphers used in those times were designed so that only the intended recipients could read them. Solving such a code by hand often means years of trying variations and searching for patterns.

History shows that AI can help where people would need decades of searching. At the same time, it is a reminder that even ancient secrets can eventually be revealed under the pressure of new technologies.

Sources: 🔗 Google News