If you download SE3, you'll see how happy many people are with the UI style. Its the same sorta thing, but the graphics are a brilliant improvement.
The AI, many people 'complain' about the ease of the AI, - I don't, but I'm not a player. I'm a modder, or mostly a ship set designer - and don't actually get round to playing the game very often!
My site -
Universal Shipyards has a whole host of ship sets for download, plus a few feeble extensions (which dont' work since MM brought out several patches). I like Se4, because I can explore what I'm turning out to be good at - 3D modelling. Others are beter at AI modding, others at Component creation etc. etc.
MM designed Se4 to be easily modable, and thats a big appeal to SE4 fans (IMExp.)
Your question about AI Cloaking, I don't think the AI have been designed to cloaking yet.
(Oh yeah, I got my game for less than $40, and I'm in the UK, since I ordered when they did discounts)