43inches has hit the nail on the head.
The undeniable reality is that automation has already removed the need for pilots who operate between city pairs which allow the autopilot to remain on until 200AGL. OK, not next week but not that far in the future. Checkout the USAF UAV fleet. You can be sure airline managers and aircraft and avionics manufacturers have long been doing so.
The cost savings resulting in the removal of pilots is enormous and not just in salaries. If you were an airline manager, you’d be working to implement this as soon as possible. Pilots in certain specific areas of aviation will be extinct, it’s only a matter of time. Coincidentally, those areas are also the ones where pilots are paid the most.
I remember the halcyon days of FEs…. They too thought they were indispensable.
5 years ago, I had a go playing with a $2000 Mavic drone, the amazing automation and capabilities in this toy certainly opened my eyes. I assume the new models are even more capable. There’s your clue.