Auto Tune?

[xmlguy]

Pitch correction has it's place. I own Melodyne and use it to tweak not only vocals but slightly out of tune instruments.

Certainly for quick and dirty recordings...hobbyists, demos, etc... it's more cost effective to touch up a good take with a few pitch clams than do another 100 takes trying to get the pitch 100% in the first place. It's the same as most digital recording tools, it saves time and time is money.

I do not use it for robotic vocal effects.

Autotune was intended for moderate correction, used as you describe. It's the abuse and overuse that becomes the problem when you can't go for 10 minutes without hearing it somewhere. I don't really have any problem with T-Pain, if he were the only major artist to use it on every track. More power to him to get his royalties. When everyone uses it, then it becomes characteristic, like Disco, and annoying.