The point is proving that "chickens now, maybe humans later" is just an extremely poor predictor. It's a useless disapproval of a new technology based on "hey, you can't prove it won't happen!".
So, we might not get humans. Ok, but we also wont get humans without simpler test cases along the way. Simpler animals, simpler mechanisms. So now we are taking those steps.
We can't see the end, but we are on the road.
Maybe that is why the fictional stories resonate here. It is easy to see the possible connections. Easy to make the leap from here, to what could be. Even if it is not an actual predictor like a scientific proof.
I still don't understand how an artificial hard physical egg, like the ones a natural chicken lays, which I'm pretty sure is not where humans come from; I don't understand where that is "on the road" simply because, and again, I'm no biologist, but as far as I know, humans don't come from hard shelled eggs.
You need to invent transistors before you can invent the computer.
If you went back in time when transistors were invented and told them to be careful, those might lead to a global computer network controlled by social media companies that will enslave you. They would look at you like your crazy. And yet there was sci-fi stories at the time about future computers.
So, on one hand, yes I'm making a leap. But on other, it isn't completely crazy. Not so crazy to dismiss.
The egg is on the same technology path. But yes, humans are far off.
But it is a necessary step.
So, we might not get humans. Ok, but we also wont get humans without simpler test cases along the way. Simpler animals, simpler mechanisms. So now we are taking those steps.
We can't see the end, but we are on the road.
Maybe that is why the fictional stories resonate here. It is easy to see the possible connections. Easy to make the leap from here, to what could be. Even if it is not an actual predictor like a scientific proof.