There's two points to consider:
1. No one cares about driving anymore. It's become a necessary evil for most. People do it out of the need to survive and the less involved they have to be, the better for them. Look at the youth. I can't tell you how many of my younger family members could care less about driving. When I turned 16 in 2000, I couldn't wait to get my license as it meant social freedom. Now, kids can video chat with a small group without leaving their houses. Hell, my wife's younger cousins only got their licenses because their parents got tired of having to drive them everywhere.
2. Automatics have gotten A LOT better. There's more gears for efficiency, plus they shift a lot faster and smoother than the old four/five-speeds. Driving my wife's ancient CR-V compared to the CX-5 we're looking at is a night and day difference. Smoother, much quicker to react, no hunting.
The end is nigh people, especially with manufacturers pushing forward with automated driving.