For many people, this is a transcendental, almost religious claim, so no amount of technical discussion will convince them. Essentially, consciousness has take

For many people, this is a transcendental, almost religious claim, so no amount of technical discussion will convince them. Essentially, consciousness has taken on the role of the soul as the concept on which we hang our humanistic ideals, like the protection of human dignity and human life, human rights etc. Many people see this threatened when people say consciousness isn't special and human and instead can be possessed by silicon. That's what you are up against, when you argue in this topic.