Consciousness is the experiencing of life which requires perception. Intelligence is the ability to solve problems. Calculators, for example, have intelligence but not consciousness.
All animals have various forms of perception and therefore all animals have their own form of consciousness. Consciousness is often described as the subjective awareness of one’s own existence, thoughts, and surroundings. This is sometimes boiled down to the idea of “being.”
Consciousness allows many animals, including humans, to perceive the world, and feel emotions. Humans, and likely some animals like chimpanzees, elephants, and dolphins, also reflect on their experiences. Self-awareness is a form of reflection, a higher-level of consciousness which humans and some animals express. For example, we see this in the mirror test where we mark an animal with a visible spot and place them in front of a mirror. If the animal uses the mirror to inspect or touch the spot, it is has some level of self-recognition.
Intelligence, on the other hand, is the ability to process information, solve problems, and adapt to new situations. While intelligence can operate without consciousness, consciousness provides the experiential depth to those cognitive processes. For example, personal computers can solve math problems but do not have consciousness. They do not have perception and therefore do not experience reality.
For a deeper dive into consciousness, take the deep dive: Consciousness: From the Soul to the Abyss.
