In AoW2 and SM the AI had issues with settlers but in AoW3 it used them very well.
So well in fact they had to cap the rate of settler use.
But the AI couldn’t use fortresses at all, well more accurately it couldn’t use builders.
So now there are no builder units, and creating a fortress is done by spending influence to make a forward base.
I am very curious to see how the AI manages settlers now.