Secrets of the Vatican and conspiracies: AI deciphered secret 400-year-old messages

Artificial intelligence is helping researchers decipher ancient manuscripts that remained inaccessible for centuries due to complex ciphers. Among the successes are the analysis of the Borgia Codex from the Vatican Library, containing medical recipes, and the deciphering of a letter from the Thirty Years' War with a warning about conspiracies.

Artificial intelligence is helping researchers decipher ancient manuscripts that remained inaccessible for centuries due to complex ciphers. Among the successes are the analysis of the Borgia Codex Borg.lat.898 from the Vatican Library, containing medical recipes, including recommendations for consuming red wine and remedies based on nutmeg. Also deciphered was a 1637 letter from nobleman Sigismund Heusner von Wandersleben, warning the Swedish chancellor about possible betrayals among Protestant allies. AI is used not only for breaking ciphers but also for recognizing handwriting and restoring damaged fragments. The Descrypt project is creating a collection of historical ciphers, among which personal love letters have been discovered.