I personally welcome curation trails and I think the best answer has been projects like @steemhunt The current system distribute value among many contributors that is significantly correlated (you can't really make these things perfect) with value/proof of brain.
Simple things can easily be automated. If you want to get rid of bots, then create complex systems and give more power to curation initiatives. This is actually why I have great faith in SMTs. I'm already getting lots of votes from STEEM Hunt, Dlike, dpoll just by being a regular user. All these votes (at leas at the moment) involves a lot of proof of brain.
Those weren't the types of automation meant. That said though, Steemhunt's proof of brain is rather low and something we constantly worry about.
Combined with so many tokens being given out, that is a very dangerous position to be in. Lack of complexity may reflect on value. But we will get it right.
When it comes to tokens HUNT Tokens are pretty much the only SMT with a solid plan for a valuable token. To my knowledge you can still get rewarded in STEEM/SBD. So I can treat the tokens as bit of an extra and sell them. Eventually more solid SMTs would come out and even the existing SMT projects under development will make the ecosystem better.
I've been interested in ways for the markets to solve the need for bidbots. I made a suggestion post and end up getting zero responses: https://steemit.com/dlike/@vimukthi/will-dlike-replace-voting-bots-in-future-a-modest-proposal-for-rewarding-content-discovery-and-incentivized-curation
Still waking but will check it soon. I am already going to at least blame you for soon delegating to dlike.
SMTs will allow payment in up to 3.tokens, vests (SP) being a compulsory payment. Depending on the SP the SMTs manage they could viably continue to pay in also SBD, of course. But RC delegated pools may change that mechanic, or should I rather say that habit many Steemians have a brilliant nose for.
FYI, Steemhunt has partnered strategically with Tokenomia.
PS: feel free to ping me in Discord such posts. I love reading insights and thoughts about that.