diff --git a/binaries/data/mods/public/gui/aiconfig/aiconfig.js b/binaries/data/mods/public/gui/aiconfig/aiconfig.js
index 32ed2192d0..079e00605d 100644
--- a/binaries/data/mods/public/gui/aiconfig/aiconfig.js
+++ b/binaries/data/mods/public/gui/aiconfig/aiconfig.js
@@ -1,54 +1,42 @@
-var g_AIs; // [ {"id": ..., "data": {"name": ..., "description": ..., ...} }, ... ]
 var g_PlayerSlot;
 
+const g_AIDescriptions = [{
+	"id": "",
+	"data": {
+		"name": translateWithContext("ai", "None"),
+		"description": translate("AI will be disabled for this player.")
+	}
+}].concat(g_Settings.AIDescriptions);
+
 function init(settings)
 {
+	// Remember the player ID that we change the AI settings for
 	g_PlayerSlot = settings.playerSlot;
 
-	translateObjectKeys(settings.ais, ["name", "description"]);
-	g_AIs = [
-		{id: "", data: {name: translateWithContext("ai", "None"), description: translate("AI will be disabled for this player.")}}
-	].concat(settings.ais);
-
 	var aiSelection = Engine.GetGUIObjectByName("aiSelection");
-	aiSelection.list = [ translate(ai.data.name) for each (ai in g_AIs) ];
-
-	var selected = 0;
-	for (var i = 0; i < g_AIs.length; ++i)
-	{
-		if (g_AIs[i].id == settings.id)
-		{
-			selected = i;
-			break;
-		}
-	}
-	aiSelection.selected = selected;
+	aiSelection.list = g_AIDescriptions.map(ai => ai.data.name);
+	aiSelection.selected = g_AIDescriptions.findIndex(ai => ai.id == settings.id);
 
 	var aiDiff = Engine.GetGUIObjectByName("aiDifficulty");
-	// Translation: AI difficulty level.
-	aiDiff.list = [translateWithContext("aiDiff", "Sandbox"), translateWithContext("aiDiff", "Very Easy"), translateWithContext("aiDiff", "Easy"), translateWithContext("aiDiff", "Medium"), translateWithContext("aiDiff", "Hard"), translateWithContext("aiDiff", "Very Hard")];
+	aiDiff.list = prepareForDropdown(g_Settings.AIDifficulties).Title;
 	aiDiff.selected = settings.difficulty;
 }
 
 function selectAI(idx)
 {
-	var id = g_AIs[idx].id;
-	var name = g_AIs[idx].data.name;
-	var description = g_AIs[idx].data.description;
-
-	Engine.GetGUIObjectByName("aiDescription").caption = description;
+	Engine.GetGUIObjectByName("aiDescription").caption = g_AIDescriptions[idx].data.description;
 }
 
 function returnAI()
 {
-	var aiSelection = Engine.GetGUIObjectByName("aiSelection");
-	var idx = aiSelection.selected;
-	var id = g_AIs[idx].id;
-	var name = g_AIs[idx].data.name;
+	var idx = Engine.GetGUIObjectByName("aiSelection").selected;
 
-	var difficulty = Engine.GetGUIObjectByName("aiDifficulty").selected;
-	
 	// Pop the page before calling the callback, so the callback runs
 	// in the parent GUI page's context
-	Engine.PopGuiPageCB({"id": id, "name": name, "difficulty" : difficulty, "playerSlot" : g_PlayerSlot });
+	Engine.PopGuiPageCB({
+		"id": g_AIDescriptions[idx].id,
+		"name": g_AIDescriptions[idx].data.name,
+		"difficulty": Engine.GetGUIObjectByName("aiDifficulty").selected,
+		"playerSlot": g_PlayerSlot
+	});
 }
diff --git a/binaries/data/mods/public/gui/aiconfig/aiconfig.xml b/binaries/data/mods/public/gui/aiconfig/aiconfig.xml
index 86e12d1817..6dc93b22ab 100644
--- a/binaries/data/mods/public/gui/aiconfig/aiconfig.xml
+++ b/binaries/data/mods/public/gui/aiconfig/aiconfig.xml
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 <objects>
 
+	<script file="gui/common/settings.js"/>
 	<script file="gui/aiconfig/aiconfig.js"/>
 
 	<!-- Add a translucent black background to fade out the menu page -->
diff --git a/binaries/data/mods/public/gui/common/settings.js b/binaries/data/mods/public/gui/common/settings.js
index fd228973b0..2757918e26 100644
--- a/binaries/data/mods/public/gui/common/settings.js
+++ b/binaries/data/mods/public/gui/common/settings.js
@@ -9,10 +9,9 @@ const g_MaxPlayers = 8;
  */
 const g_MaxTeams = 4;
 
-// The following settings will be loaded here:
-// AIDifficulties, Ceasefire, GameSpeeds, GameTypes, MapTypes,
-// MapSizes, PlayerDefaults, PopulationCapacity, StartingResources
-
+/**
+ * Directory containing all editable settings.
+ */
 const g_SettingsDirectory = "simulation/data/settings/";
 
 /**
@@ -29,7 +28,10 @@ const g_Settings = loadSettingsValues();
  */
 function loadSettingsValues()
 {
+	// TODO: move PlayerDefaults and MapSizes from functions_utility.js here
 	var settings = {
+		"AIDescriptions": loadAIDescriptions(),
+		"AIDifficulties": loadAIDifficulties(),
 		"Ceasefire": loadCeasefire(),
 		"GameSpeeds": loadSettingValuesFile("game_speeds.json"),
 		"MapTypes": loadMapTypes(),
@@ -67,6 +69,55 @@ function loadSettingValuesFile(filename)
 	return json.Data;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Loads the descriptions as defined in simulation/ai/.../data.json and loaded by ICmpAIManager.cpp.
+ *
+ * @returns {Array}
+ */
+function loadAIDescriptions()
+{
+	var ais = Engine.GetAIs();
+	translateObjectKeys(ais, ["name", "description"]);
+	return ais.sort((a, b) => a.data.name.localeCompare(b.data.name));
+}
+
+/**
+ * Hardcoded, as modding is not supported without major changes.
+ * Notice the AI code parses the difficulty level by the index, not by name.
+ *
+ * @returns {Array}
+ */
+function loadAIDifficulties()
+{
+	return [
+		{
+			"Name": "sandbox",
+			"Title": translateWithContext("aiDiff", "Sandbox")
+		},
+		{
+			"Name": "very easy",
+			"Title": translateWithContext("aiDiff", "Very Easy")
+		},
+		{
+			"Name": "easy",
+			"Title": translateWithContext("aiDiff", "Easy")
+		},
+		{
+			"Name": "medium",
+			"Title": translateWithContext("aiDiff", "Medium"),
+			"Default": true
+		},
+		{
+			"Name": "hard",
+			"Title": translateWithContext("aiDiff", "Hard")
+		},
+		{
+			"Name": "very hard",
+			"Title": translateWithContext("aiDiff", "Very Hard")
+		}
+	];
+}
+
 /**
  * Loads available ceasefire settings.
  *
diff --git a/binaries/data/mods/public/gui/gamesetup/gamesetup.js b/binaries/data/mods/public/gui/gamesetup/gamesetup.js
index 8d76325387..bdba4d8bfa 100644
--- a/binaries/data/mods/public/gui/gamesetup/gamesetup.js
+++ b/binaries/data/mods/public/gui/gamesetup/gamesetup.js
@@ -48,8 +48,6 @@ var g_GameAttributes = {
 
 var g_MapSizes = {};
 
-var g_AIs = [];
-
 var g_ChatMessages = [];
 
 // Data caches
@@ -108,14 +106,6 @@ function init(attribs)
 // Called after the map data is loaded and cached
 function initMain()
 {
-	// Load AI list
-	g_AIs = Engine.GetAIs();
-
-	// Sort AIs by displayed name
-	g_AIs.sort(function (a, b) {
-		return a.data.name < b.data.name ? -1 : b.data.name < a.data.name ? +1 : 0;
-	});
-
 	// Get default player data - remove gaia
 	g_DefaultPlayerData = initPlayerDefaults();
 	g_DefaultPlayerData.shift();
@@ -710,7 +700,6 @@ function loadGameAttributes()
 	if (!g_IsNetworked)
 		mapSettings.CheatsEnabled = true;
 
-	var aiCodes = [ ai.id for each (ai in g_AIs) ];
 	var civListCodes = [ civ.Code for each (civ in g_CivData) if (civ.SelectableInGameSetup !== false) ];
 	civListCodes.push("random");
 
@@ -1536,7 +1525,7 @@ function updatePlayerList()
 	if (g_IsController)
 		Engine.GetGUIObjectByName("startGame").enabled = (g_AssignedCount > 0);
 
-	for each (var ai in g_AIs)
+	for (let ai of g_Settings.AIDescriptions)
 	{
 		if (ai.data.hidden)
 		{
@@ -1602,7 +1591,6 @@ function updatePlayerList()
 				configButton.hidden = false;
 				configButton.onpress = function() {
 					Engine.PushGuiPage("page_aiconfig.xml", {
-						"ais": g_AIs,
 						"id": g_GameAttributes.settings.PlayerData[playerSlot].AI,
 						"difficulty": g_GameAttributes.settings.PlayerData[playerSlot].AIDiff,
 						"callback": "AIConfigCallback",