Humans aren’t just clever animals. Much of what we’re capable of doesn’t really have any equivalents elsewhere (as far as we know). It’s not just a question of degree. There really is an enormous qualitative difference.
Take a look at the evolution of tool-making in our ancestors. The most typical stone-age hand-axe was developed around 1.75 mya, but then remained almost unchanged until about 200-300 mya. Think about that for a moment. That’s 1.5 million years spent making essentially the same stone tool! Now think about all the technological changes that have happened in just the last 2 thousand years.
Cultural evolution is an enormously potent accelerator of change, compared with biological evolution. Some other organisms may exhibit human-like intelligence, but, at best, they’re still stuck making the equivalent of stone hand-axes - whilst we’re sending robotic exploration vehicles to Mars.
Mere intelligence is not enough. What really counts is the ability to readily create, share and appreciate ideas. In an important sense, all organisms literally embody meaning just by being alive. But humans also have the power to rapidly generate new meanings and make them manifest in wholly new forms. My cat might sometimes watch TV along with me - but she’s about equally fascinated by a running tap, or a shadow on the wall. We don’t really inhabit the same world, because I have lived my entire life immersed in culture, and she has never even sensed that it’s there.