I really don’t understand this perspective

This is honestly a strange thing to say. The only examples we have on the planet today of what we consider true intelligence are living animals. Why wouldn't it at least be possible that the properties of the signaling units that comprise these existing, observed intelligences (i.e. neurons) are fundamental to the task of replicating these intelligences? It seems to me it's the "statistical methods" that have yet to prove they're capable of producing true intelligence.

I will retreat to the fact that I said "true AI can be achieved by more accurate simulation of how real neurons and real neural networks function" and not "can only be achieved". Time will tell which approach works better.

I don't know who Chollet is but I'll look him up. Thanks for the reference.

Edit: the downvote was predictable. Nice job.