Sadly -well, not necessarily sadly but- because of no AI and LUA scripting limitations, AI droids to man weapons or act on behalf of real players, is not something NQ wants to focus on.
One of DU's core aspect is player interaction and player-driven.
This means that if you have a giant capital ship with 100 guns, you will need 100 players to man each one of them. Admirals with strong leadership will thrive in that environment
And personally, I think this is great, since it gives players value when it comes to manning ships. That little recruit or cadet is not so useless after all, eh?!
~ Meldrik