Orca,
No need to fear extinction. All the electronics and hydraulics and telemetry may be - in fact they really ought to be - able to fly the aircraft from a to b on their own, but the need still exists - and will always exist - for someone to be in charge of the process.
Two nearly-eternal reasons justify the need for a commander:
a) to solve problems and finesse situations when they arise
b) to catch the blame when something goes really wrong.. so it doesn't come back on the suits at HQ.