When the PFD 1 failed due to the data miscompare; why is the Autopilot designed to just auto disconnect straight away? If they programmed it to also pause and announce PFD or PITCH CROSSCHECK REQUIRED - without an auto disconnect then they would probably have been able to handle the failure easily and remained in straight and level flight.
Computers can detect mismatched data and compare all sources of that data extremely quickly, so why not use them to announce what has failed to improve situational awareness.
It seems to be that the immediate auto disconnect is what leads to instinctive pilot inputs, as nobody is now flying the aircraft. When no immediate action would be safer.
That may have saved this crew and indeed the AF.