What I’d like to see is an algorithmically controlled middle-ground that cuts out most of the pauses but also leaves natural pauses every now and then to give breathing room.

Basically a kind of auto-edit that helps give natural flow with breaks for the audience to absorb the material.

Think of fluent public speakers. Some of them speak in a way that their words are confident and coherent while not being just a constant stream of words.

For example Steve Jobs. If my memory of watching him speak on video, he speaks but he also takes plenty of pauses in between. (Presentations that he had rehearsed over and over before walking on stage and giving them.)

That kind of thing would be magic to have automatically done by the editor.