> Consciousness as a useful frontier, in my opinion, will only have utility as it intersects with neuroscience and artificial intelligence.

So by neuroscience and artificial intelligence I'm guessing we can assume you're just referring to western science.

How about the Buddhists? Or the shamans in tribal societies around the world? Was there no utility in their understanding and manipulation of consciousness (which was often achieved through the use of psychedelics)? In many ways the shamans and other spiritual practitioners are far ahead of western science in terms of understanding consciousness. However, that is rarely acknowledged in western society, especially among technical folks such as ourselves. Western science is not the only valid way to understand reality.