In a remarkable demonstration of artificial intelligence’s growing capabilities, OpenAI’s newest model, GPT-6 Astra, has accomplished what generations of historians and cryptographers could not:...

In a remarkable demonstration of artificial intelligence’s growing capabilities, OpenAI’s newest model, GPT-6 Astra, has accomplished what generations of historians and cryptographers could not: deciphering a coded military letter from Napoleon Bonaparte’s court that had remained unread for 217 years. The breakthrough offers a fascinating glimpse into both the future of AI and a critical moment in European history.The encrypted document dates back to 1809, a period of mounting tensions between Napoleon’s French Empire and the Habsburg Empire of Austria. Sent by Eugène de Beauharnais, Napoleon’s stepson and Viceroy of Italy, to French General Auguste de Marmont, the letter contained vital intelligence regarding French and Austrian troop movements as Europe edged toward war. For more...