I think the AI cheats a little

[Baron Munchausen]

I think the AI cannot help but cheat in certain ways. These would have nothing to do with tactical combat, though. The AI is actually very bad at tactical combat. Did you ever play the old, old Versions of Empire? The AI units would always move to intercept you even if you sent your units by some round-about way to attack from a different direction. It's very difficult -- maybe impossible -- to code an AI that doesn't use the complete knowledge of the game contents. I bet the SE4 AI also uses knowledge of other players' ship locations without having gained it by "proper" means. I've occasionally seen fleets move into a system and take up position to attack, then turn around and leave when I swooped in a transport and dropped some WPs on the colony they were threatening. Can you see the contents of a planet without attacking? Apparently the AI can, unless this was just coincidence.