I know nothing - in no way an expert but i would hazard that there is a definite gradient in intelligence/consciousness/self-awareness etc beginning with very simple immediate input-response with no significant ‘processing’ to neural networks that take inputs and build models of external reality mediating possible responses to those that build more complex models allowing greater flexibility and even models of the models/modeller. I wonder if self-consciousness is a sort of internal experience of a model of the models or model of the modeller. But no doubt rather like the concept of life itself these are difficult concepts to be entirely precise or draw definitive lines about. And obviously we should be careful about considering potential variety in something like intelligence because there are perhaps arguably creatures with complex but niche limited intelligence and those with more flexible wide-ranging, I think. It’s easy to see ourselves at the top of every gradient but that may be in the sense of plasticity (?) and range rather than in specific niches. If that makes any sense at all!