I don't know what bonuses the AI got (extra techs?), but they kind of worked for me instead of against me. I stole Theology while, beelining Civil Service, then education on turn 92. I wasn't did not send an external caravan, but with that terrain the capital was quite strong so the extra internal caravan worked better in the long run. I did a 3 city NC, traditional Tradition start, and settled my 4th city soon after. No wonders until modern era, not even Porcelain Tower.
The early game was quite favorable to me, stole an inca settler, and a worker from Russia. Both Korea and Inca coveted my lands, and each turn I would try to bribe a war involing them. I got Japan to Dow Korea, and I also DoWed them to grab another settler. It was pretty intersting as I had archers while they had Hwach'as. But they were focused on Japan, so I just pillaged their land, and they offered peace. Soon after that the focus was on japan, and eventually I even got a DoF with both Korea and Inca. Soon after Russia was wiped out by Assyria, and Japan was left with a single city by Korea.
I had some luck with quests and even got last religion, with faith and culture from wine and incense, tithe, happiness from gardens, and 1% production bonus from each follower, cheaper and stronger prophets to get my religion up in the expos.
I was teching quite fast after t92 Education (didn't have money for universities but it really didn't matter), t146 ST (again no money for Public Schools and currently working on WF, so effectively got a Public School in capital at t150). At one point I thought of going for SV, but that was quite boring, so I went for an Order Domination. I wasted a lot of money on tiles, but the automated system didn't pick the good ones (river hills, and river plains). The 4th city grew quite fast, with a food caravan towards it, and working river farms. Later I switched to mines on hills, on many tiles.
After Radio (oxford) I beelined Millitary Academy to grab Kremlin, and fertilizer, biology and then all military techs for landships, tanks, nukes and in the end it didn't really matter, but I was working towards Stealth Bombers. Used the Rationalism finisher for Radar, and started working on planes.
Won WF, to help with rationalism and Order policy. Went straight to Iron Curtain, but later I got a second level 3 tenant Spaceflight Pioneers (for Hubble and extra bulb). For level 1 I had: Hero of the People, Socialist Realism, Double Agents and later Young Pioneers. Level 2: Worker's Faculties, Five-Year Plan and later Party Leadership, but I think Academy of Sciences would have been a better choice. I had only one filler policy before rationalism and used it for Commerce opener.
The Inca attacked me when I had 5-6 cavalries ready to upgrade. Upgraded them to landships and proceeded to take his capital. I was building landships like crazy in capital, and the other 3 cities were building planes (I eventually had 9 bombers one fighter) and artillery.
Korea was next, they had a massive city with huge defense: Red Fort combined with Their Finest Hour, but it eventually fell. I used all my military, tanks, artillery and bombers. I just took capitals and got peace.
Japan was easy, they had riflemen and knights. Got the capital and moved forward to Assyria who were by far the strongest.
Got 4 cites from Assyria and another one in a peace deal (luckily it had airport as I used it as an airbase for taking Arabia).
Arabia was dealt with in 3 turns (captured 4 cites) and 2 turns later I nuked Rome to the stone age. The next turn I captured it with paratroopers.