Professor Cracks Historical Ciphers with AI in Minutes

Professor Beáta Megyesi, a computational linguist at Stockholm University, has achieved a breakthrough in deciphering historical encrypted texts using advanced AI technology. Her team recently cracked the 400-page Borg cipher from the 17th century in just 28 minutes, a task that previously would have taken weeks.

Megyesi's AI tool represents a significant leap forward in the field of cryptanalysis. "My dream is to create a user-friendly tool that even anyone can use," she stated, highlighting her ambition to democratize access to historical secrets. It is estimated that about one percent of historical writings worldwide remain encrypted, offering a hidden layer of information for historians.

Historically, ciphers have been employed to safeguard sensitive information, ranging from diplomatic correspondence and rituals of secret societies to personal relationships and medical recipes. Megyesi noted that some of the Vatican's correspondence, written in cipher, provides a fascinating glimpse into both diplomacy and the daily lives of European courts. These documents reveal political considerations, personal observations, social dynamics, and potential marriage alliances.

The Borg cipher, originating from Northern Germany or Scandinavia, contains 34 distinct symbols. Its decryption unveiled secret recipes and pharmaceutical knowledge for treating various ailments, including remedies for intestinal issues involving wine or fermented nutmeg. Megyesi described the process as akin to detective work, where identifying symbols alone could previously take days. The development of AI has drastically accelerated this painstaking process.

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My dream is to create a user-friendly tool that even anyone can use.