It is a question in philosophy. It is the difference between being considered a conscious being, and not. Since for now our definitions of a conscious being is tied to being alive (when is a human alive and not death?). So obviously it has implications on ontological questions. It fundamentally limits our understanding of what exists and just as important, why we exist.
dagss|3 months ago
Bacteria, fungus and plants are not usually seen as conscious but are usually seen as alive.
All conscious things are alive (unless AI is conscious) but not all alive things are conscious.