These disciplines require mastery, at least to a certain level. Yes, computers help a great deal, and in engineering, there are companies that specialize in doing a lot of the low-level "grunt" work.
But STEM stands in stark contrast to rest of the made-up world of academia. Its demands on the mind are rigorous, and there are those who can't cut it. That sticks in the craw of these elites.
Too bad for them.