This summer,  hitchBot will travel across Canada in stranger’s cars. The little robot has its thumb permanently out, asking for a ride.

Armed with a programmed vocabulary and a pair of sturdy rainboots to protect itself against the weather, hitchBot will tell those who pick it up for a ride its story and mission. Humans are increasingly connected to technology -- already there are stories about people who name their Roombas and soldiers who grow attached to bomb-detecting robots.

The question of whether humans can trust robots is an underlying factor as technology becomes “smarter” and more autonomous. But hitchBot’s co-creators, David Harris Smith and Frauke Zeller, turn that question on its head to ask whether robots can trust humans.

Guests:

David Harris Smith, assistant professor in the Department of Communication Studies at McMaster University

Frauke Zeller, assistant professor in the School of Professional Communication at Ryerson University