IIRC, Boeing 777s (which are FBW) will automatically disengage the autopilot if you start forcing the stick to a different position. The flight envelope protect

IIRC, Boeing 777s (which are FBW) will automatically disengage the autopilot if you start forcing the stick to a different position. The flight envelope protections are implemented by adding a physical resistance to the stick, but can be overridden by using force, which seems a highly intuitive and deferential implementation. It certainly seems a lot more responsible than Airbus's design, both for the above reasons and for the mechanical linkage you mention.