Smart, autonomous machines are all around us. We welcome these digital helpers, but don’t always know if we can trust them. With the arrival of self driving cars we should answer urgent questions: how can we understand, communicate, and interact with these machines? It is the time to redefine the relationship: to fit what is natural for people, not just for machines. We discuss how empathetic, human-centered manifestations of autonomous technology can create a safer (and more pleasant) future.

[Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.]