It struck me right away in initial training in the A320 that the whole "manually flown" approach had become at least a partial charade in the Airbus direction for advanced automation. (I don't mean to suggest that the Airbus does not demand a great deal of skill and understanding, it does.) Only Direct Law remained in touch with true instrument flight and even that became much harder with the lack of control force feedback (hence the irreversable relegation to abnormals and emergencies).

I think the future holds an increase in a few recurring and embarrassing accidents where it is discovered that an overall acceptable safety record has encouraged and masked a retirement of true instrument skills.

Perhaps it all means nothing because not enough people will die and the technology's replacement of human skill will continue its successful march.