Human brains are able to create certain mental abstractions. There's good evidence for why this would be useful (think about how much more flexible humans are than computer programs). Referring to these mental abstractions as "consciousness" or "qualia" is begging the question to a large extent.

The illusion is that these abstractions are evidence of something qualitatively more advanced than simple neurons interacting in a way that's beneficial for the organism. Which isn't unusual, we've seen the same kind of reaction when people proclaim that they couldn't have "come from monkeys," or any other scientific discovery that knocks humans off the pedestal they've placed themselves upon.