Autopilots can in practice control ground manoeuvres, and take-off. That was demonstrated in the 1970s. There simply isn't the commercial impetus to push them

Autopilots can in practice control ground manoeuvres, and take-off. That was demonstrated in the 1970s. There simply isn't the commercial impetus to push them to certification; it's cheaper for an airline to cancel a flight than to maintain such a technical capability, mainly due to paperwork.