The AF case was (also) presumably caused by pilot error - i.e. the pilots continueing to pull back on the stick - but this was a concious effort by one of the pilots due to an interpretation error of the engaged autopilot mode.
Problem with the more modern automation systems in aviation is that they become harder to reason about when you have no sound understanding of underlying software/hardware interactions. The day that the autopilot modes are as simple as 'follow the line' (i.e. flight director bars), maintain this speed and/or maintain this heading/altitude is gone with the Airbus flight control system incorporating 4 different 'laws' (modes of operation) with varying submodes.
Complacency is somewhat understandable given the increasing complexity of said systems.