OpenAI Astra and Anthropic Claude Opus 5 decode unsolved Enigma messages
Developer Carter Leffen used OpenAI's Astra model to decode an Enigma message that had remained unsolved since 2005. The model conducted its own archival research, found context clues, built an Enigma simulator, and recovered the plaintext. Crypto Cellar maintainer Frode Weirerud validated the solution and noted the model's logs referenced archived messages from a private collection and German…
Key points
- OpenAI Astra decoded a 2005 unsolved Enigma message autonomously
- Anthropic Claude Opus 5 broke a different Enigma message with user guidance
- Seven Enigma messages remain unbroken, per Crypto Cellar's Frode Weirerud
Separately, cryptanalyst Jack Willis used Anthropic's Claude Opus 5 to break a different unsolved Enigma message on September 21, providing more guidance to the model. Weirerud said seven unbroken Enigma messages remain, plus one where the plaintext is known but the code is unbroken.
The story so far
2 episodes →- OpenAI Astra and Anthropic Claude Opus 5 decode unsolved Enigma messagesthis story
Astra and Opus just passed Turing’s other test
TechCrunch AI · 25 September 2026
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Coverage and discussion
3sources- GPT-6 Astra and Claude Opus 5 Crack Unsolved Enigma CodesPress · aiweekly.co ·
- GPT-6 Astra and Opus 5 crack two Enigma messages that had resisted researchers for decadesPress · notebookcheck.net ·
The headline, key points and digest above were generated by Digest AI's editorial model from the linked sources. Automated summaries can contain errors: the sources are the record. Spotted a mistake? Tell us. Published by Martin K., who runs Digest AI and handles corrections.
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