This is an interesting take. If we refactor meat out of our diets out of empathy, wouldn't that imply human exceptionalism considering non-human carnivores and omnivores haven't been observed doing the same?
Opting out of meat is only really possible for us because of farming. Other species lack the physical capabilities to farm as we do. Nor can they communicate to us the depth of their cognitive capabilities.
Rejecting human exceptionalism is not the same as saying we are indistinguishable from non-human animals (which would be absurd to argue), rather that our distinctions do not make us inherently more worthy.