No one knows what human consciousness really is or if it even applies to other animals. Having said that, consciousness is not a requirement for intelligence.

No one knows what human consciousness really is or if it even applies to other animals. Having said that, consciousness is not a requirement for intelligence. It would interesting, and plausible enough for self-improving AI as smart as a human to be developed without addressing the question of consciousness. For extra credit: No there is not enough evidence. Here is my opinion on this matter: It is possible to simulate the universe, but it is not possible to be the universe. Simulation is different from being, just as predicting the weather is different from manipulating the weather. And simulating consciousness on a computer is different from being conscious.