Being biological isn't some sort of get out of jail free card. Biological systems follow chemical and physical rules and processes, just like everything else in the universe.

A random pile of proteins and amino acids isn't self-aware either, unless arranged in very specific patterns and sequences.

Similarly, I don't think that "that mere numbers of electric circuits can somehow begin to *think* and have self-awareness."

Those circuits need to be arranged in the proper order, and follow the correct set of instructions.

Which is off the topic, anyway. As I recall, the original discussion was in regard to emergent behavior, which, to quote ChatGPT:

"Emergent behavior refers to the phenomenon where simple individual components interact to produce complex collective behavior that cannot be predicted simply by understanding the individual parts.

This behavior emerges spontaneously and is typically not directly controlled or planned by any single entity.

In other words, emergent behavior is a process where larger patterns or behaviors arise through the interactions among smaller, simpler entities. Each of these entities individually doesn't exhibit such behavior, but when combined, they exhibit a behavior that is beyond their individual capabilities.

An example can be seen in a flock of birds. Each bird is governed by relatively simple rules such as maintaining a certain distance from neighbors, but when combined, these simple rules can lead to complex behavior like synchronized flocking.

In the field of artificial intelligence and complex systems, emergent behavior often refers to sophisticated outcomes arising from the interaction of simpler AI agents or processes."

Note that this says nothing about sentience or self-awareness, a distinction you're adding all on your own. In this case, emergent behavior is whether or not we begin to see higher-order results that were unexpected, given the original data.