Very interesting issues, unsuitable to address adequately on a brief message board.

Let me say however that seemingly intelligent behaviour by a putative AI agent does NOT require consciousness. We can perform many seemingly purposeful yet complex actions in a day without being conscious of what we're doing. One example of complex AI like but unconscious behaviour: I'm reminded of when once in my 30s shortly after I'd changed jobs, I suddenly found myself steping out of my car in the parking lot of my former employer, having 'unconsciously' driven back to the old place instead of the new.