[Baron Munchausen]

It's really difficult to design ruins techs that the AI could benefit from. They are almost by definition 'special case' techs that allow or even require special strategies. Since you can change these techs in the text files it's a bit hard to design an AI that can understand and use them. Even so, you COULD make the AI at least put the components in ships. I've modified some of the AI files for the races on my local copy of SE to use the Neural Combat Net if they get it. You could create a special ship design for each race to use the Massive Shield Depleter or Massive Engine Destroyer. Put only the spcial weapon family in the design and then put "must have weapon" on it. It won't be built unless that special tech is found.

There ought to be more special techs, anyway. And it's not too hard to think of some good ones. How about a cloaking device that gives level 5 cloaking in everything so it is undetectable? An AI which got that would almost certainly use it (the AI is smart enough to use the 'best' Version of whatever is available) and would be really dangerous with it. A special type of engine that gives very low supply usage would be good. I've got one in my techs. The AI would probably not be smart enough to use this properly, though. I wonder if planetary shields can be regenerated like ship shields? I have planetary shields in my 'normal' tech tree because I think anyone would think of them. But I haven't tried regeneration. If it can work, then a ruins tech that regenerates planetary shields would be really cool. Or just give this ability to the "Massive Planetary Shields" and they have an extra advantage besides being more powerful.