Skip to content

Instantly share code, notes, and snippets.

@atoponce
Last active June 10, 2024 06:16
Show Gist options
  • Save atoponce/1cd01f40786ab21af011f0d6257fba0c to your computer and use it in GitHub Desktop.
Save atoponce/1cd01f40786ab21af011f0d6257fba0c to your computer and use it in GitHub Desktop.
No, ChatGPT didn't solve Kryptos 4

So you think ChatGPT solved K4? You're not the only one. First, here's the K4 ciphertext and clues:

                           OBKR
UOXOGHULBSOLIFBBWFLRVQQPRNGKSSO
TWTQSJQSSEKZZWATJKLUDIAWINFBNYP
VTTMZFPKWGDKZXTJCDIGKUHUAUEKCAR

Jim Sandborn, the creator of the sculpture and puzzle has given us clues, revealing that characters:

  • 22-25 FLRV decrypt to EAST.
  • 26-34 QQPRNGKSS decrypt to NORTHEAST.
  • 64-69 NYPVTT decrypt to BERLIN.
  • 70-74 MZFPK decrypt to CLOCK.

That means we know the plaintext looks like this, where . represents an unknown character:

                           ....
.................EASTNORTHEAST.
............................BER
LINCLOCK.......................

Let's see how ChatGPT has fared:

  1. https://www.reddit.com/r/cryptography/comments/1bkb09z/kryptos_panel_4_solved/ (archived)
BERLINCLOCKINNORTHEASTAREAKEYTOPUZZLE
  1. https://www.reddit.com/r/cryptography/comments/12o4s49/4th_kryptos/ (archived)
BETWEENNORTHEASTANDNORTHWESTCRYPTOGRAPHICALLYTHEEASTWALLWASEIGHTFEETHIGH
  1. https://www.reddit.com/r/Cipher/comments/12959e7/can_chatgpt_solve_4th_cipher_of_kryptos/ (archived)
EMUFPHZRFAXYUSDJKZLDKRNSHGNFIVJYQTQUXQBQVYUVLLTREVJYQTMKYRDMFD
  1. https://www.reddit.com/r/Cipher/comments/137c02x/i_think_i_got_chatgpt_to_solve_kryptos/ (archived)
NORTHEASTOFTHETHIRDNUMBEREASTTOHERESIDEEASTOFTHEGREATRIVER
  1. https://www.reddit.com/r/ChatGPT/comments/1clhewc/i_just_watch_a_video_on_unbreakable_kryptos_code/ (archived)
   Post: LONETOWERTHESIMPLEKEYWORDREUSEDMORETIMESITISAANOTHERLAYERISITATREASUREEASTOFBRAYRD
Comment: LUNCHATNOONTHEFAIRWAYOFTHEEASTNORTHEASTTIMEBERLINCLOCKSREACHTHREETHOUSANDNINEHUNDREDANDNINETYEIGHT
  1. https://www.reddit.com/r/codes/comments/1czjkng/kryptos_code_gpt4_i_think_i_cracked_it_with/ (archived)
ATTENTIONATTENTIONTHECIPHERRULESTIPERASEDONLYOUTKNOWNBYKRYPTOSCREATORGOODJOBFIGURINGOUTTHEPUZZLEINYOURHANDSTIMELESSARTWORKDECODEDOFLATEYOUAREALREADYEARNINGRECOGNITIONFORDECIPHERING

Not only has ChatGPT provided different solutions of different lengths, it doesn't have the plaintext characters in the correct positions given what Jim Sandborn has told us, if it has them at all.

If you really believe you found the solution to K4, all you have to do is send in your solution with $50 to Jim Sandborn for him to confirm it. He's the only one who can confirm and announce the solution. But I'm guessing you don't have $50 worth of faith in ChatGPT.

@mmtmn
Copy link

mmtmn commented Jun 10, 2024

Agreed! gpt-4 and gpt-4o models do not get it right!

I did create neural networks in attempts to do so, but it ended up with biased results that only used the letters of the clues. Currently working on NN and RNN that only use the numerical shift of letters, but now the plaintext characters are not in the correct positions given! So far, I do not really believe I found the solution to K4! So no sending over 50$ to Mr. Sandborn.

If anyone is interested in my attempt: https://github.com/mmtmn/kryptos-k4-neural-network-attempt

Sign up for free to join this conversation on GitHub. Already have an account? Sign in to comment