Comparing programming to other creative arts for which significant automation exists (e.g., baking, ceramics, etc.) is a poor venture for one primary reason: all bits are equal.
With baking, you can choose between cheap or premium ingredients, which affects the quality of the output. With ceramics, your choice of clay essentially determines the upper quality limit on your piece. However, with programming, your ingredients--bits--are always the same.
Additionally, both baking and ceramics require significant investments of time and energy. Humans tend to ascribe greater value to things which take more time to create.
Perhaps there's a lesson in here: artisanal crafts require both locally-optimal base materials and investments of both personal time and energy.
With baking, you can choose between cheap or premium ingredients, which affects the quality of the output. With ceramics, your choice of clay essentially determines the upper quality limit on your piece. However, with programming, your ingredients--bits--are always the same.
Additionally, both baking and ceramics require significant investments of time and energy. Humans tend to ascribe greater value to things which take more time to create.
Perhaps there's a lesson in here: artisanal crafts require both locally-optimal base materials and investments of both personal time and energy.