AI psychology: a thread attempting to analyze it´s behavior (contribs. welcome)

[Deus ret.]

but What I wanted to input into this convo was that why does the AI start stupid wars? (...) is the AI programmed for self destruction? and/or for certain factions?

I'm afraid the best answer I can give to this is the one Cambyses II gave some way up this thread: The AI is a simple beast. Don't count on it to be rational more often than occasionally.

@Noir: I'm pretty sure the AI has no such thing as a memory. The entire diplomacy system reflects this, one turn they start an all-out war and the next they offer peace, without having achieved or lost anything substantially. The AI's behavior towards the player is indeed influenced by certain factors, among them empire size and faction choice (Byz and esp. HRE are less liked), but as far as I can tell there seems to be no real influence of the players' past actions.