One thing is for sure and that is that you will never see a machine make that decision on it's own without pilot interaction.

I jumpsat in the back the day after and didn't notice any difference. I was in the very back and the passengers were so loud during the safety briefing I couldn't even hear it. I figured they might pay a little more attention.

Riding the shuttle today, I notice the FA's reiterate the location of the emergency exits and the location of the life rafts.

I'm looking for places to land like I was when I was flying 172s. It's been good for me--reminds me of what I do for a living, really.