The 777 is already heavily automated. The automation exists to reduce the workload in stressful situations.
Apart from fatigue issues and the need to correct a vertical offset in the profile, this sort of approach in the conditions that prevailed at the time, should not be especially taxing to any professional pilot.
All other considerations aside, I find this accident to be inexplicable. Like the AF447 accident, the Lion Air and the Turkish airlines accidents, there seems to something very insidious creeping into the world aviation scene.
At least the pilots survived this one, so they can be asked what happened. I am very intrigued as to what they may say.