This reality has been brewing for quite some time. I recall an ABC interview with an ATC officer back around 10 years ago. The ATC guy was adamant pilots will become redundant as in his view he proffered words to the effect "we tell them what path to take now from the ground, why couldn't pilots be removed altogether".
Also, isn't Rio Tinto trialing driverless trucks in one of their open cut mines right now? The news report showed and described footage of trucks which will all be driverless and controlled remotely within 5 odd years!
One would hope the union guys are onto this already.