But since that complex neural structure could never even begin to come about without that outside world and all the mechanisms of evolution (aside from a Boltzmann brain!), always having to include the phrase "and with the outside world" when describing the neurological origin of qualia and experience is some severe philosophical hair-splitting.

You'd think, but damn the techbros really have forgotten about this one tbh. I think it's still very relevant to the topic of AI honestly cause the people who make them keep ignoring that fact. I've seen emergent complexity get thrown around as justification for LLM sentience in some circles. And I don't understand why when nearly everything in neuroscience and philosophy, as you said, contradicts that. Very frustrating, frankly. Even the term "world model" gets thrown around with LLMs too and its soooo aggravating.

I agree with your thoughts on directionality i was just quibbling on evolution and yeah splitting hairs really. Like I have other thoughts on world models and sentience and selfhood but theyre probably pretty fringe so I'm not going to share them here.