amusingly enough, a couple of us have been having a discussion about the very answer to your question in one of the modder subforums recently. Long story short without getting technical... most of the other AI's are practically selecting techs in the tech tree with a dart board with drengin as a notable exception with a more near laser-like focus.  I started a thread recently asking players to answer a couple questions about their favorite race & accompanying gameplay styles to help us with it.  it would be appreciated if you share some braincells there on the gameplay q's it asks

Is there a easy way to look at the raw production figures for the races ?
Well it is the wheel where you can find the raw production what for production... can be distributed to social /miltair manufacturing.

Mp=m*p^exponent ..this is a exponential formulae ( i found this on Wiki for CalCiv3 ) 

p= Colony population (in billions)
Mp = The Total Manufacturing generated by population==> this output increases  faster when the population is growing by colonisation of new worlds with a high birthrate
m = Population multiplier to production
e = Population exponent to production => time ..

Is there a possible faster way for higher raw production then only colonising...by a social building tech at the start of the colonising ?