I may have to double-check, but I *think* this is what the AB system does also until the lever is moved for whatever reason.
Hmmm... my impression from what has been said so far was that AT disconnect would set the thrust as commanded by the TL setting.
Remember that the direct cable connection is considered a thing of the past, not just by AB, new aircraft designs are predominantly FADEC throttle-controlled. Even with force-feedback supplied by software, such a system could transmit the *wrong* tactile information to the pilot.
Yes, point taken, there's a failure mode to moving levers as well, and I agree,
wrong information is even worse than no information. However, that's not relevant in the current situation. We're not discussing a system that reports wrong information, we're discussing a system that reports no information at all, at least not through this sensory channel.
pj