It is better priced than AR for sure.
Of the three Factory-related techs, Basic Automation is the best choice, boosting income from every Factory by 15 %. At roughly 25 % of a Factory price, you are better off buying it over an additional Factory as soon as you reach a stunning stack of TWO Factory cards.
The way the game and the community works is as follows: There is little market for the rare cards and keeping more than one gives no boost so the best shot is to sell it to a newcomer. Basic Automation is going to be useful for 3rd Edition Combine mechanics (including excess copies) so unlike the other two, experienced players are stacking it rather than running around shouting how great it is.
Always DYOR.