That would be a response, wouldn't it? If you give an AI "a way out", which is essentially the same, it will take a way out when it thinks it the smartest thing

That would be a response, wouldn't it? If you give an AI "a way out", which is essentially the same, it will take a way out when it thinks it the smartest thing to do. The trick is to lower the punishment for taking the way out. It's not free, but saying a car is a dog gets you -1, where as seeing a car and saying I don't know, only gets you a -.1 punishment (or even a .1 reward, vs a 1 reward for a correct answer).