> Although precise definitions are hard to come by, intuitively we all know what consciousness is.

This is the key problem. To me it looks like most of this article is conflicted about what the definition exactly is:

- basic conscious experiences such as pleasure and pain might not require much species-level intelligence at all

- [there will come] a point at which they also become aware—at which the inner lights come on for them

Based on the text, I don't think I understand what the author believes being concious is. I also don't think this argument will advance further until we start defining precisely what we mean.