I had the same reaction. Another problem is that it assumes as an axiom that “Consciousness does not require an external observer to exist.” I agree that sound

I had the same reaction. Another problem is that it assumes as an axiom that “Consciousness does not require an external observer to exist.” I agree that sounds very likely, but that doesn’t mean you can just assume it! It sounds a bit like the opposite of Mach’s principle in physics, which I think many physicists take seriously even though it seems very unlikely at first glance.