Tourist, put your money where your mouth is. Buy an hours flying in a modern airliner sim, ask to be shown a Standard LPC/OPc or a LOE and report back to us. Then, you may well have a better perception of what you are talking about.
The skills required to fly an aircraft are the same as they ever were. The skills to manage a modern flight deck, crew ,airspace, work schedules, management expectations and requirements are quite different to 40 years ago. So, yes, some of the routine flying has been automated, but the management processes to get us through the working day are a lot more involved.
And finally, when the things are on fire or all the lights have gone out, only the skill of your pilots will allow you to continue living.