[PvK]

You could test the theory about the switch to human control by running the game as a human player but turning on all the ministers. Of course, that wouldn't prove that it didn't do it when under complete AI control.

You could also play a game with the "constant view of all systems" turned on, but that would require carefully watching each turn to see if the AI's ships were suddenly vanishing, so that proabably wouldn't be easy.

Actually, it would be simpler to test the part of the theory about the bonus having the effect, by running a game with no AI bonus, and see if it happens.

Of course, you can't prove it doesn't happen - only prove that it does, unless it happens very frequently or predictably.

Another theory would be that maybe the AI scraps when it can't retrofit a design to the new design it likes, but I don't think that is the case. Hmm, unless the BSY design has something at higher tech levels that won't fit on the BSY hull - a 500kT space station only has 50kT space left after standard control components and the spaceyard. It has only 40kT after upgrading to cheap life support. Maybe then it has its design set to try to include other junk that would be over 40kT?

PvK