Metro man
If the MMEL was like that (NO GO for AP, FD or A/THR U/S) that would mean that when they were serviceable It would be extremely unlikely that any of them was lost during any given flight.
But it would also mean that the Pilots would not be considered a redundant element in an airplane's control anymore.
As said in a previous post, if an airline does not trust its pilots it should put NO GO in its MEL for automation U/S, but if the NO GO is in a manufacturer's MMEL, then it is the industry which is not trusting pilots anymore.
This can easily happen if new generation pilots are more and more poorly trained to fly.