Computers don't differentiate between equal positions in analysis, so if it sees it can draw with 16...Ne4, it will play that move. Unlike humans, there is no differentiation between simply draws and complicated/close draws as long as it sees a draw is forced. I can't replicate Arrakis09's computer recommendation of 16: ...Ne4, but my computer does say black can draw after 16: ...Ne4. Therefore, it makes sense that depending on how the computer chooses its candidate moves, Ne4 would be the first choice and it would play that move. It just depends on the computer Arrakis90 was using.
Specifically, the two relevant processes minimax computers use here are Alpha/Beta pruning and node reordering. The computer uses heuristics to guess at the value of a position (this is the same heuristics it uses to evaluate positions for normal usage) and then reorders nodes so that positions it t guesses are winning go first. This is to maximize the efficiency of Alpha/Beta pruning. It makes sense that Ne4 is one of the first moves the computer checks because without calculation, it looks great. Winning the pawn, centralizing the knight, you have to see Bxf7 to see the flaw. Obviously the computer then checks this move, calculates a while, and sees that Ne4 is drawing.
After this, it checks all of the other candidate moves, but with an Alpha value of 0, which is essentially black's best alternative. It uses this alpha value to prove nodes by saying that if it ever gets to a position where white is guaranteed a draw or better, it stops calculating and refers to 16: ...Ne4
Therefore, if the position is drawn and Ne4 draws, it makes sense that it heuristically chose Ne4 and then used that drawn position as the Alpha value to compare to other positions. After pruning all other positions and determining they are at most a draw, it referred back to the earliest draw move in its move order and gave Ne4 as the answer.
Your computer says that the pawn-dropping move 16...Ne4 is Ok because it sees Black getting back the pawn with ...Re8 in the end of the line.
But: Come on! White is under pressure in any human vs human game because of the d6 pawn, and Black should try to work towards picking that pawn. Who cares if the computer can save that pawn folowing a long variation? 16...Ne4 might not put Black at a disadvanage, but in regular terms, it is a bad move.
Computers don't differentiate between equal positions in analysis, so if it sees it can draw with 16...Ne4, it will play that move. Unlike humans, there is no differentiation between simply draws and complicated/close draws as long as it sees a draw is forced. I can't replicate Arrakis09's computer recommendation of 16: ...Ne4, but my computer does say black can draw after 16: ...Ne4. Therefore, it makes sense that depending on how the computer chooses its candidate moves, Ne4 would be the first choice and it would play that move. It just depends on the computer Arrakis90 was using.
Specifically, the two relevant processes minimax computers use here are Alpha/Beta pruning and node reordering. The computer uses heuristics to guess at the value of a position (this is the same heuristics it uses to evaluate positions for normal usage) and then reorders nodes so that positions it t guesses are winning go first. This is to maximize the efficiency of Alpha/Beta pruning. It makes sense that Ne4 is one of the first moves the computer checks because without calculation, it looks great. Winning the pawn, centralizing the knight, you have to see Bxf7 to see the flaw. Obviously the computer then checks this move, calculates a while, and sees that Ne4 is drawing.
After this, it checks all of the other candidate moves, but with an Alpha value of 0, which is essentially black's best alternative. It uses this alpha value to prove nodes by saying that if it ever gets to a position where white is guaranteed a draw or better, it stops calculating and refers to 16: ...Ne4
Therefore, if the position is drawn and Ne4 draws, it makes sense that it heuristically chose Ne4 and then used that drawn position as the Alpha value to compare to other positions. After pruning all other positions and determining they are at most a draw, it referred back to the earliest draw move in its move order and gave Ne4 as the answer.