Don't you think the goal for automated system is due to laziness. The goal is to identify strengths and split the tasks which task that computer (Slave) perform better and which task that Master (you) perform better than computer. I think the semi-automated will work. While the fully automated will not yet perform well since too many issues left unresolved such as interpretation of news, psychology, crowd behavior, behavior economic, etc. Think about IBM Deep Blue there's a big difference when a man is playing chess and when he's trading. In chess, one make a move because one see a clear advantage or a better option to reduce damage based on the present configuration and if one can see an advantage, so does computer. While in trading one make a move because one think it's advantageous or because one got scared, greedy or the Guru said it's good and so on. Those factors are not well registered in the present configuration and therefore the computer got screwed. However, we can't say the far future is not possible.
yes, i agree, there always be space for human judgement and sure computers can complement. but i know some people who just want some golden forumal that boots from windows, makes millions, and shuts itself off too. i totollly appreciate how computers can assist humans make decisions.
In this case, they have to wait long enough till the human brain be fully understood. In other words, completely understand how the brain work rationally and irrationally. It will take years... but not impossible. What absurd is some people are so proud of themselves that they are superior than computer in all angles and therefore ignore or deny any existence of automated trading. As a matter of fact, we all knew that some task computer is far superior than us and we should exploit that ability.