Personal opinion here ! I think we shouldn't think of setiency in a human way. Like every animal being can see but most of them don't see the same way we are. Or trees can communicate with each other, but not in the same way as we are.

We should broader our spectrum of possibilities and stop thinking in a binary way when talking about the world that surrounds us.

It might be in a year, or maybe in a 100 years, but if machine sentience is even possible, it is inevitable.

I agree, not only is it inevitable it will also be our own demise. I think of it like our own body (at some degree) is protecting us from external threat to keep us safe. Specially now they are playing arround with neurons on SoCs. The question is not "IF" but "WHEN". There will be a point of no return where AI will be infinitely more "intelligent" we will ever be, where it can feed it's own data and controls everything related to information and change things to it's liking.

Most people would say, just unplug that machine ! But what if It could spread through our own media and replicate itself through all our hyper connected space?

The limit is our own imagination. But if it wants to survive, It would know It should keep discrete and hide until the right time to strike. Because nobody wants to be a slave controlled by others.

Just my 2cent.