Do AI starts on tech3 as you do when this option is selected?

I am playing on hard + tech3 start for the first time and I believe I had really good tech rolls and location with chockpoints, which help me to expand to 3 cities without spending too much on army.

It is turn ~100 and no matter what I do I am still outnubered and outteched by Major Regimes AI.

Do they start on tech4 or it is just me suck at the game?