Is the Qantas parallel now more compelling than other theories?
Erroneous AoA values are fed to ADIRU(s) leading computer to mandate unwanted and dangerous flight control maneuver.The vulnerability of the computer's "voting" system when faced with conflicting air data was highlighted by the ATSB.Spike values and hysteresis(lag) confuse the computer and it may de-select a good ADR and respond to a faulty one.Autopilot ON or OFF,doesnt matter.
However, it is important to note that in fly by wire aircraft such as the Airbus, even when being flown with the Autopilot off, in normal operation, the aircrafts flight control computers will still command control surfaces to protect the aircraft from unsafe conditions such as a stall.