How will aliens differ from humans when it comes to technology, ship design, etc?

[popuptoaster]

Given just how many things have been capital or otherwise serious offences in the Elite universe at least in some places and times

• piracy
• illegal trading
• broadcasting trade prices outside their origin system
• launching without clearance
• assassination
• fitting weapons in fixed sideways mounts on your ship
• making accusations of murder

...without it ever completely stopping anyone from doing it, I would be very surprised if the law against AIs was scrupulously stuck to, even if the major political powers know better.

I dunno, the AI's were supposedly REALLY scary and effected a lot of people enough that pretty much everyone wanted rid of them.

I think rather than illegal research with AI it's more likely to be the ones that got away coming back or being discovered.

I can't remember the exact details, but either one or a very few escaped destruction and fled into space.