The goal is not to have voters choose their representatives, not the other way around. In a contested or closely divided district, the representatives must adapt to appeal to a majority, resulting in a more moderate position. In a gerrymandered district, the politician can do anything they want, because they know they effectively won't lose.
You're right that gerrymandering is not new, but it's gotten more aggressive, thanks to new technology and de facto sanctioning by SCOTUS.
When the left does it’s called redistributing, when the right does it it’s called gerrymandering.
It’s either going to be the representatives which are directly elected by the people or it’s going to be an unelected bureaucrats.
Your solution, being the latter, is far far more undemocratic. The framers of the constitution knew this and that’s why they put redistricting into the hands of the ELECTED BODY.