> that doesn't even run in real-time

We have realtime AI models

> it executes prompts and then stops

A wood frog can freeze and be “dead”, then thaw and resume life.

> consciousness is such an easy algorithm it can easily be stumbled upon by all kinds of systems

Maybe it is. There’s no reason to think that sentience and consciousness are rare.

The more you learn about biology, the more apparent it is that a lot of the qualities that we think are unique to humans aren’t.

But it doesn’t make different forms of life any less special. There’s an insane complexity and efficiency to biological systems to appreciate still.

Are humans still special? Yes. Is it because we’re sentient and conscious? No.

Should you be humane to all sentient and conscious beings? Probably?