The automated crew replacement drones do not seem to be counted as crew though
the automated crew replacement drones, if I recall only gives an reduction to the crew cost of surveying and salvaging. it dose not actually provide crew.
im working on a different system for this hullmod right now that dose kind of add crew, if adding crew had nothing to do with crew, that will be mush more simple to understand and hopefully fun.
its not done yet though. but hopefully soon
tmas for the ai retrofit, it simply reduces the crew to zero, then adds a load of invisible low cost hull mods to the ship, depending on the ship size and its base required crew, to simulate a dynamic cost. it also makes a ship cost 2X supplies, and reduces in combat repair speed by 50%