I'm not sure what you mean by "Defense can't be graded % wise."
I haven't seen any instance of the AI putting components on the ship that you don't have tech for. If you have a save game, please zip it and send it in to gc2bugs@stardock.com
Also, what do you mean by "still no upgrades for AI designed ships?"
sorry cari - wasn't clear - the "defence can't be graded" meant I can't set my defence to 33% shields 33% armour 33% point defence, or all of them to 0% if i want to build an attack only craft.
as for components - i just noticed that a series of "blue shield bubbles" were being attached to ships if you had a setting of 100% shields, even if you hadn't researched any shields. This made no difference, and might be simply aesthetic, but just reported it in case if you upgraded a design it caused problems.
"still no upgrades" refers as loupdinour says, to the inability to upgrade your ai designed ships (eg M1) to the latest ai design (eg M2). at the moment you have to scrap and build.
new bug - the ai designs ships that use greater capacity than the current hull space. i'm getting ships designed by AI that i can't build eg components 30 to hull space 26.
and while i am in the presence of the goddess....
Drengin tried to offer me Efficiency Studies II for Xeno Farming when i already had Efficiency Studies II
The Minors still appear to be accessing race specific techs of races not selected for the game eg a minor had warp bubble tech when the terrans were not in the game. i remember this being reported before, but can't remember the outcome.

evil roy