diff --git a/src/game/engine/src/modules/management/turn_processor.gd b/src/game/engine/src/modules/management/turn_processor.gd
index c2c377f6..d893811b 100644
--- a/src/game/engine/src/modules/management/turn_processor.gd
+++ b/src/game/engine/src/modules/management/turn_processor.gd
@@ -139,8 +139,19 @@ func _process_research(player: RefCounted) -> void:  # Player
 	## to Rust `GdTechWeb::process_research` (warcouncil p1-39 port,
 	## 2026-04-27). GDScript only assembles input JSON + applies
 	## completion side-effects (tech_researched signal, resource reveals).
+	##
+	## Auto-pick fallback: when a player has no current research target
+	## (just completed one, or never picked one — the latter case is the
+	## bug we hit on huge-map 5-clan runs where AI players P1-P4 stalled
+	## at techs=1 forever because nothing ever called `_pick_research`
+	## for them; auto_play.gd only picks for its impersonated current
+	## player slot). Re-pick from the bridge using the same scorer the
+	## headless autoplay uses, so AI players progress through eras
+	## naturally instead of sitting idle.
 	if player.researching.is_empty():
-		return
+		_auto_pick_research(player)
+		if player.researching.is_empty():
+			return
 
 	# Per-yield difficulty multiplier (composed by GameState).
 	# p1-29 cycle 4: research-yield catch-up boost. When this player is at least
@@ -202,6 +213,62 @@ func _process_research(player: RefCounted) -> void:  # Player
 		_check_resource_reveals(completed_tech, player.index)
 
 
+func _auto_pick_research(player: RefCounted) -> void:
+	## Pick a research target for `player` via the Rust bridge scorer.
+	##
+	## Mirrors the candidate-list construction from
+	## `auto_play.gd::_pick_research`. Runs for every player on every turn
+	## that finds `researching` empty — so AI players P1..P4 (which
+	## auto_play does NOT impersonate via `_play_turn`) actually advance
+	## through eras. Without this, only the auto_play-impersonated slot
+	## ever picked a tech and the rest sat at techs=1 forever (huge-map
+	## batch `20260516_212826`).
+	var ctrl: RefCounted = GameState.get_ai_controller()
+	if ctrl == null:
+		return
+	var candidates: Array = []
+	for tech: Dictionary in DataLoader.get_all_techs():
+		var tid: String = str(tech.get("id", ""))
+		if tid.is_empty() or player.has_tech(tid):
+			continue
+		var met: bool = true
+		for req: Variant in tech.get("requires", []):
+			if not player.has_tech(str(req)):
+				met = false
+				break
+		if not met:
+			continue
+		var unlocks: Dictionary = tech.get("unlocks", {})
+		var unlock_buildings: Array = []
+		for bid: Variant in unlocks.get("buildings", []):
+			unlock_buildings.append(str(bid))
+		var unlock_units: Array = []
+		for uid: Variant in unlocks.get("units", []):
+			unlock_units.append(str(uid))
+		candidates.append({
+			"id": tid,
+			"pillar": str(tech.get("pillar", "")),
+			"cost": maxi(int(tech.get("cost", 1)), 1),
+			"tier": int(tech.get("tier", 0)),
+			"unlocks_buildings": unlock_buildings,
+			"unlocks_units": unlock_units,
+		})
+	if candidates.is_empty():
+		return
+	var clan_id: String = str(player.get("clan_id") if player.get("clan_id") != null else "")
+	var axes: Dictionary = {}
+	if not clan_id.is_empty():
+		var personality: Dictionary = DataLoader.get_ai_personality(clan_id)
+		if personality != null and not personality.is_empty():
+			axes = personality.get("strategic_axes", {})
+	var best_id: String = ctrl.pick_research(
+		JSON.stringify(candidates), JSON.stringify(axes)
+	)
+	if not best_id.is_empty():
+		player.researching = best_id
+		player.research_progress = 0
+
+
 func _check_resource_reveals(completed_tech: String, player_index: int) -> void:
 	TurnProcessorHelpersScript._check_resource_reveals(completed_tech, player_index)