Yes. Except it's really in direct violation of the law. It's not just outside FAA guidelines.
If you're flying under FAR Part 101, you're flying either VLOS at best or FPV at worst. In either one of those scenarios, the pilot could have recognized the problem early and brought his AC back without a hitch.
There is nothing in the ruling allowing for autonomous flights. If one is going to do it anyway - in direct violation of Part 101 - one better be ready to face the legal consequences when something unexpectedly goes wrong.
In fact, the pilot can be fined even if nothing goes wrong. It can be a perfect flight, and he can still be heavily fined.
I think if I was going to fly autonomous missions, I would save my missions for open farmland, rural mountain areas, the ocean, etc.