If you think that handling skills need not be maintained and that automation is the only safe way to fly - then read the accident report on the Adam Air (indonesia) crash to be located on Pprune.Rumours and News.
The autopilot disconnected during the few minutes both pilots were heads down in IMC trouble-shooting an IRS non-normal. Despite automated bank angle warnings, the 737-400 went into an ever steepening spiral dive eventually reaching 490 knots before break-up. . Rate of descent at one point was over 48,000 feet per minute with the crew apparently making wrong recovery action by simply pulling harder in the spiral. Not much future in that. The crew had reportedly not been trained in the simulator in unusual attitude recoveries, but in any case surely in the past they must have passed numerous check flights - mostly on automatics perhaps?