What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
In September 2026, AI engineer Carter Church reported using OpenAI’s GPT-6 Astra to solve a French military cipher from 1809 that had remained unread for about 217 years. The message was sent from Eugène de Beauharnais’s headquarters on Napoleon Bonaparte’s orders and addressed to General Auguste de Marmont. Church said the AI-assisted workflow took roughly six hours; Cryptiana maintainer Satoshi Tomokiyo reviewed the result and marked the historical-cipher entry solved.
What was decoded?
The artifact is not a newly discovered letter written directly by Napoleon. It is a military message transmitted through Eugène de Beauharnais, Napoleon’s stepson and viceroy of Italy, to Marmont, a French general. The message concerned the positions of French and allied forces before the 1809 Austrian campaign.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Its encryption protected operational information from interception. The page presented a French introductory line followed by 24 rows containing numbers, letters and invented symbols. Reports describe roughly 1,300 cipher units and 155 distinct signs.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsThe cipher had been unread for approximately 217 years. Church selected it from the Cryptiana database of historical ciphers, rather than starting with a newly unearthed archive item.
#1 Best Overall
- Read Before You Buy — No Video Output: These adapters support charging and USB 2.0 data transfer, but cannot transmit video signals. Except for standard USB webcams (which use USB data only), they are not compatible with HDMI/DisplayPort cables, video-capable USB-C hubs, or docking stations with video output.
- Convert USB-A Ports to USB-C: Designed to connect USB-C earphones, cables, flash drives, card readers, and other USB-C accessories to standard USB-A ports. Plug-and-play with no drivers or software required.
- Aluminum Alloy Housing: Built with a sturdy aluminum alloy shell that aids in heat dissipation and protects against daily wear and scratches. Designed to maintain a stable and secure connection.
- Compact & Travel-Friendly: The ultra-compact design allows the adapter to stay plugged into your device without blocking adjacent ports or adding bulk, reducing wear and tear on your original USB ports.
- 12-Month Warranty: Backed by a 12-month manufacturer warranty for peace of mind. Designed to meet strict quality control standards for reliable everyday performance.
How GPT-6 Astra reportedly solved it
1. Image transcription
Church supplied GPT-6 Astra with a single image and a prompt. The model transcribed the unusual symbols and organized the ciphertext for analysis. That first step matters because historical cipher pages combine unfamiliar glyphs, inconsistent spacing and handwritten or printed material that must be represented accurately before substitution testing can begin.
2. A partial key narrowed the search
The cipher was not attacked as a completely unknown system. A partial key was already available, giving the process a starting point for some symbol-to-letter relationships. GPT-6 Astra then helped search the remaining substitutions.
3. Simulated annealing searched candidate keys
The reported workflow used a simulated-annealing solver, a probabilistic optimization method that tests many possible keys while occasionally accepting weaker intermediate candidates so it can escape a bad local solution. Candidate plaintexts were scored for language coherence and consistency with the known portions of the key.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Rank #2
- 5-in-1 USB-C Hub: Experience comprehensive connectivity featuring a Power Delivery input, two USB-A 2.0 ports, a USB-A 3.0 port, and an HDMI port. (Note: The USB-C power delivery input port is only for connecting an external wall charger to power your laptop and cannot power peripheral devices.)
- 90W Pass-Through Charging: Achieve optimal charging with 90W pass-through power to your laptop, supported by a total input of 100W, with the hub reserving 10W for operational efficiency. (Note: Wall charger not included.)
- Quick Data Transfers: Accelerate your productivity with rapid data transfers using a high-speed 5Gbps USB 3.0 port and two 480Mbps USB 2.0 ports.
- 4K HDMI Display: Enhance your visual experience with a hub capable of delivering 4K resolution at 30Hz in both mirror and extend modes. Please note that this hub is compatible with MacBook (macOS 12 and newer), Windows 10 and 11, ChromeOS, and laptops equipped with DP Alt Mode and Power Delivery. Note: This device is not compatible with Linux.
- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (5-in-1, 4K HDMI), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
4. The output was packaged for mechanical testing
Church said the resulting key and plaintext could be used to regenerate and test the ciphertext. That is the crucial distinction between a plausible-looking AI answer and a cryptographic solution: the proposed key must map the original symbols to the claimed text under repeatable rules.
What the deciphered message reportedly adds to history
Church’s account says the message describes the positions of French and allied armies before the Austrian campaign. The reconstructed text also fills a gap in Napoleon’s later memoir, completing a phrase as “a gathering of rabble.” That wording should be treated as a reported reconstruction, not as an independently verified archival translation.
The historical value lies in connecting an encrypted operational message with a documented campaign and a known chain of command. A readable plaintext can help historians compare what commanders communicated at the time with later memoirs, dispatches and military movements.
Rank #3
- Sleek 7-in-1 USB-C Hub: Features an HDMI port, two USB-A 3.0 ports, and a USB-C data port, each providing 5Gbps transfer speeds. It also includes a USB-C PD input port for charging up to 100W and dual SD and TF card slots, all in a compact design.
- Flawless 4K@60Hz Video with HDMI: Delivers exceptional clarity and smoothness with its 4K@60Hz HDMI port, making it ideal for high-definition presentations and entertainment. (Note: Only the HDMI port supports video projection; the USB-C port is for data transfer only.)
- Double Up on Efficiency: The two USB-A 3.0 ports and a USB-C port support a fast 5Gbps data rate, significantly boosting your transfer speeds and improving productivity.
- Fast and Reliable 85W Charging: Offers high-capacity, speedy charging for laptops up to 85W, so you spend less time tethered to an outlet and more time being productive.
- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (7-in-1), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
How strong is the verification?
Cryptiana’s maintainer, Satoshi Tomokiyo, reviewed Church’s work and changed the database entry to solved. Church emphasized that verification, rather than generating possible answers, was the hardest part of the task: “The verifiability of solutions is actually the most difficult part, far more difficult than generating potential solutions.”
He also argued that a mechanically testable key sharply reduces the risk of an arbitrary hallucination: “Everyone has the experience of seeing a model claim something outrageous, but the difference here though is that the solution is mechanically testable: there’s essentially zero chance an incorrect key could produce coherent and historically consistent output.”
Those statements describe the proposed checking method, but they do not establish every form of scholarly confirmation. The available reports do not establish:
Rank #4
- Dual Converters, Infinite Potential：Includes 2× USB C male to USB A female adapters and 2× USB A male to USB C female adapters. Perfect for a wide range of uses—tablets with Bluetooth keyboards, expand USB ports on macbook, and more. Two different converters for all your daily needs
- Next-Level 10Gbps & 3A Charging: No more slow 480Mbps, this usb to usb c adapter has a transfer speed of up to 10Gbps, allowing you to do more transferring in less time. This usb adapter fits both USB A and USB C charger, supporting up to 3A fast charging
- Upgraded Exquisite Craftsmanship: With an aluminum alloy housing and metal connector, the usbc to usb adapter is extremely durable and sturdy. Rigorously tested to withstand more than 10,000 times of plugging and unplugging, ensuring long-lasting performance
- Broad Compatible: The usb c to usb adapter widely supports all USB C/ USB A devices like laptops, tablets, cellphones, car chargers, and phone chargers. Such as compatible with MacBook Pro/Air 2023/2022, Thunderbolt 4/3 Devices,Apple MagSafe Watch 9/8/7/SE/Ultra, iPad Pro 2022/2021, Samsung Galaxy S23/S20/S10, and iPhone 17/16/15 Pro. Plug and play
- Please Note: To reach 10Gbps speed, keep the cable under 3.3 ft. For USB A Male to USB C adapters, try flipping the USB C connector. USB C Male to USB A adapters support bidirectional 10Gbps transfer within 3.3 ft
- the original French military codebook or a complete archival key;
- an independent, peer-reviewed replication;
- an error rate for the transcription or plaintext;
- a controlled benchmark against expert human cryptanalysts.
The strongest public confirmation currently reported is Tomokiyo’s review, the Cryptiana status change and the claim that the key and plaintext can be mechanically checked against the original symbols.
The key figures in the reported solve
| Measure | Reported detail | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Age of unread cipher | About 217 years | Approximate age reported in 2026 coverage of the 1809 document |
| AI-assisted solve time | About six hours | End-to-end time reported by AFP and Tom’s Hardware |
| Rows on the cipher page | 24 | Description of the photographed or scanned page |
| Cipher units | About 1,300 | Approximate count reported for the page |
| Distinct signs | 155 | Includes numbers, letters and invented symbols |
| Independent benchmark | Not stated | No peer-reviewed comparison with human specialists was established in the available coverage |
Does this mean AI will replace historical codebreakers?
Not on the evidence of this case. AI appears to have reduced the time required for transcription, exploratory key search and persistence through many candidate solutions. Human expertise remains necessary to establish provenance, assess whether the historical setting fits the plaintext, identify or challenge assumptions in a partial key, inspect the cipher mechanics and document a reproducible solution.
The result also does not show that every historical cipher is now easy. Reports note that harder systems may remain unsolved when there are few training clues, no comparable examples and little known plaintext. A solver can search rapidly only when the ciphertext, language, likely structure and evaluation method provide enough signal.
Best Value
- 5-in-1 Connectivity: Equipped with a 4K HDMI port, a 5 Gbps USB-C data port, two 5 Gbps USB-A ports, and a USB C 100W PD-IN port. Note: The USB C 100W PD-IN port supports only charging and does not support data transfer devices such as headphones or speakers.
- Powerful Pass-Through Charging: Supports up to 85W pass-through charging so you can power up your laptop while you use the hub. Note: Pass-through charging requires a charger (not included). Note: To achieve full power for iPad, we recommend using a 45W wall charger.
- Transfer Files in Seconds: Move files to and from your laptop at speeds of up to 5 Gbps via the USB-C and USB-A data ports. Note: The USB C 5Gbps Data port does not support video output.
- HD Display: Connect to the HDMI port to stream or mirror content to an external monitor in resolutions of up to 4K@30Hz. Note: The USB-C ports do not support video output.
- What You Get: Anker 332 USB-C Hub (5-in-1), welcome guide, our worry-free 18-month warranty, and friendly customer service.
Why the reaction is ambivalent
Tomokiyo called 2026 a possible turning point for historical codebreaking, a field long sustained by specialist scholars and dedicated hobbyists. He also described mixed feelings: he is excited that long-standing problems may finally yield, but uneasy that AI can appear to solve difficult puzzles so easily.
That tension reflects a real change in the workflow. A problem that once demanded extensive manual transcription and repeated human experimentation may now be approachable with one image, a partial key and a search program. But speed does not remove the need for accountability. The durable scholarly result is not merely a fluent translation; it is a documented chain from original artifact to transcription, key, regenerated ciphertext and historically defensible interpretation.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →
