>But autopilot is explicitly a term for hands off operation.
I see you've never skippered a boat.
I see you've never skippered a boat.
I assume, just like with cars, things can happen quickly with a boat.
The autopilot for a aircraft does whatever it is supposed to do without human supervision. If you turn on keep heading, it will keep the heading (within physical limitations). I guess it is similar for a boat.
Lane assist, however, requires constant human supervision because it is just an assistant. I think this is the important difference that needs to be highlighted here.