they wouldn't have to destroy the population for reaching over 500 million, because eugenics policies such as child limits per family would keep it under 500 million all the time.  you make a good point about automation, which is going to make billions of people completely and utterly disposable. the only people who aren't going to be disposable are going to be the exceptionally high intelligence genetically desirable people. i don't think the elites are as cold as people in conservative circles seem to think. if reducing the population and protecting the earth's environment is their goal, they seem to be more benevolent than the average man.
United States