2. The bold part is "incorrect" (In that it relates to the title indicating the AI [is] Generating Insane Research). The Research number you see is not the Research per Season, it's the Total Research done by the AI so far. Assuming you're on Season 120, then the AI would have researched, on average, 17 per Season (2000/120). Obviously, its current per Season number is probably much higher, say 50, whereas its initial per Season number might have been, say, 1. /// The real problem is you have access to your Research per Season value whereas you have access to the AI Total Research, so it's not easy to compare. Would be great to have access to per Season and Total for both Player and AI. Also, at higher Difficulty Settings, the AI will easily get to 5 digits (and in some cases 6 digits) Total Research.
You see, there's my confusion right there. I lost you when you say "Total Research done by the AI so far." That would then imply that the information panel shows only that type of calculation, so to speak; the only thing calculated in "Total X amount done so far by AI" or X/current turn, is the Research, because the AI had indeed 668 metal, 161 Fame, 2 Shards and of course the 99 Mana, which goes into the negatives when the AI casts D.I. The only possible explanation for this is having done the Repeatable Mana % several times in order to afford the 200 Mana cost of D.I.
Moreover, the per-turn 25XP boost really adds up when it's turn 200+ when you consider the fact that the AI sovereign IS indeed cleaning the monster lairs.