Artificial intelligence (AI), which aims to reproduce human intelligence through the use of computer science and mathematics, emerged in the 1950s, notably under the influence of the work of Alan Turing. According to the OECD, AI startups attracted nearly 12% of global private equity in the first half of 2018, up from 3% in 2011. Research publications saw a similar trend, with more than 1.2 million publications in 2019 compared to less than 40,000 in 2010. As a result, AI has become a growing priority for public authorities. The adoption since 2017 by many States of national plans to encourage its development bears witness to this. In France, a national strategy for artificial intelligence (SNIA) was launched in March 2018, initially endowed with €1,527 million in public funding for the period 2018-2022, followed, in November 2021, by a new phase called "acceleration" announced for the 2022-2025 period, with the aim of strengthening France's competitiveness and attractiveness in this area. The report published today by the Court of Auditors constitutes an in itinere evaluation of the SNIA, which covers the “research” and “higher education” aspects, i.e. the main aspects in terms of financing.