I've been flying Airbus types for 18 years (and F-27's and the like before). I have never followed a line, magenta or otherwise. Beam bars, Flight Directors, yes, but following a line? What is meant by that? Is it a navigation thing?
As for fully automated flight of large jets full of passengers, I just cannot see that happening within the next hundred years. I have sat there with colleagues and pondered this issue, and we always arrive at the same conclusion. Uniformly.
I do think that those advocates of non-pilot flight are both drastically ill-informed and perhaps envious. The term sky-god is ludicrous for today's commercial pilot. We are average people, with an unusual skill-set. Our level of intervention with the flight of an airliner is high, as can be the number of judgement calls.Try programming a suitable set of diagnostics and responses for a burst tyre at high speed, say 15 knots before V1. Considerations such as fuel lines, hydraulics, gear retraction, climb performance, continuation of flight landing performance with a variety of damage possibilities again involving fuel and/or hydraulics, return to overweight landing, request for runway inspection, etc. The list is long. And meanwhile the aircraft needs to be flown safely in possible bad weather. Most parts of the world do not have, and will unlikely ever have decent radar for weather. And even the US has its limitations.
I do agree that the standard of airmanship has diminished amongst some of the new cadets, which is carried through to the first 3,000 hours or so of airline flying. And I agree that the use of automation, although necessary, has lowered our hand-flying skills and scan efficiency.
Much can be improved, but is unlikely to be, due to commercial considerations. Air safety may well decline. However, airliners without pilots? Or Air Traffic Controllers for that matter? Impossible within the foreseeable future.