What's an "expert"? In this case, astrobiologists.

What's "aatrobiology"? From a dictionary: The scientific study of the possible origin, distribution, evolution, and future of life in the universe, including that on Earth, using a combination of methods from biology, chemistry, and astronomy. Exobiology; -- not used technically. Similar: exobiology The branch of biology concerned with the effects of outer space on living organisms and the search for extraterrestrial life.

So this is like "experts agree that God will smite you" where experts are deacons from some very strict church.

> In fact, when surveyed, 86.6 per cent of astrobiologists recently said they either agreed or strongly agreed that extraterrestrial life likely exists somewhere else in the Universe.

When asked the same question but for complex or intelligent life, the agreeing percentage only drops to 58.2 per cent. More believe than don’t.

It’s more like the definition of “alien” broadened.

It started out in the 1960’s meaning “humans with pointy ears and no emotions”, then in the 1980’s it was “squat humanoids with glowing fingers and a penchant for phoning home”, then in the 1990-2000 it was “infectious microbes that turn humans into zombies”. We pretty much all realized that the “life” part of “alien life” spans the entire breadth of what biology can produce. (The 2020’s even reduced it further to “RNA sequence which connects the entire human race except 13 folks into a vast hive mind”)

Widen the concept enough and lots more scientists will go “yeah something like thst that probably exists elsewhere, sure”

Many people are saying this.