Chapter 5. Trust in autonomous technology: the machine or its maker?

Autonomous systems are created to perform a task so that a person does not have to. However, people differ in their willingness to trust and rely on such technology. To begin to understand what determines a person’s decision to trust an autonomous system (e.g., a self-driving car), it is first important to ask who or what they are deciding to trust. Is it the autonomous system itself, the maker of the autonomous system (e.g., Tesla), or both? This chapter grounds predictions about trust in autonomous systems in the theory of trust proposed by Mayer et al. (1995). Some early empirical work is summarized supporting the idea that trust in the system may be distinct from trust involving other people or companies. Future research on trust and autonomous systems should consider measuring trust for both referents.