This has absolutely nothing to do with the 737 Max.
Airbus in particular has been using fly-by-wire for years. The issue with the 737 Max is that it felt different to control under different flight conditions from the classic 737 and Boeing tried to patch that difference in software. There would be no such issue in a new from-the-CAD-file-up airframe.
How is this any different from current Airbus planes? They are all fly by wire. If you turn off the computer in them you will lose all control. This is why they have a bunch of redundancy built in.
There is some level of mechanical control. The airframe is stable in wing design computer is continuously adjusting control surfaces it's not flyable by a human.
Airbus in particular has been using fly-by-wire for years. The issue with the 737 Max is that it felt different to control under different flight conditions from the classic 737 and Boeing tried to patch that difference in software. There would be no such issue in a new from-the-CAD-file-up airframe.