I suppose it's easier to smash, resmash, resmash large fields
but yeah, nothing beats pulling them.
It's probably safer to auto-smash than to auto-dig, because of
the possibilities of surface wires underground and such.
I wouldn't trust AI just yet to start auto-digging, although
with some basic RF 'sonar' stuff it shouldn't be hard to
identify wires to avoid as well. PVC pipes would be tricker
perhaps, although perhaps not.
Of course these things SHOULDN'T be near-surface in large
fields, but they sometimes they are.
I always found weedpulling to be satisfying when I'd get "into
it".