They're definitely not interchangeable. If you start saying I am seeing instead of I can see, people will notice you're talking like a foreigner. I can't explain how it works grammatically, but Chandler's use of the continuous here serves to convey the question: "do you the same thing I see?" See here for a similar use of see in the present continuous.
As the effects of climate change become increasingly visible, cities face unique challenges but are also positioned to be leaders in sustainability and adaptation. Some of the most prominent effects ...
MSN: Some Indian cities are among those expected heat up faster due to climate change
Some Indian cities are among those expected heat up faster due to climate change
As far as I know it's ungrammatical to use the verb form "seeing" when perception is involved - do you mean specifically the gerund seeing, or any use of to see? Either way, it sounds wrong to this US English speaker: we use "seeing" to mean "perceiving" all the time.
grammar - When is it ok to use "seeing"? - English Language Learners ...
It felt really nice seeing all the things fall together into place. Vs It felt really nice to see all the things fall together into place. Is this just an infinite- gerund thing? Or are the mean...
I'm seeing exactly what you're trying to do. Move the exactly. Then both are correct. In fact, you can use the present simple or continuous. It depends on your intention.
present continuous - "I see" vs. "I am seeing" in the sense of ...