If software doesn't automate things, why are we investing so much in it? Maybe I misunderstand, but computers make us much more efficient: writing, graphics, c

If software doesn't automate things, why are we investing so much in it? Maybe I misunderstand, but computers make us much more efficient: writing, graphics, computation, communication, storage and retrieval of information, searching information, machine control, ... for a time, 'computers' were rooms full of people doing computations. Think of the software stack that runs HN. What would we do? Write letters to a journal for publication? Gather in a room someplace?