The thing is Mr Carnage, its the pilots who are next. The aircraft have had the ability to takeoff, cruise and land for the last 30 years. I have yet to see any robot serving anybody, whether at Asda or the Ritz. Pilots now sit behind a locked door, cabin crew engage passengers every day that they work. The day it is proven that statistically, automation is safer than human, then its bye bye Captain.
I mean, if computers were worse than humans, then why do they land jets in fog, not Captains?
No matter the level of automation, I would want a pilot, preferably two, in the flight deck as well as any amount of computers. Not just system monitors, but the best money can buy!