Mobility Connect: Perspectives on Autonomous Driving

Perspectives on Autonomous Driving

March 2025 marked a milestone: autonomous driving in Switzerland is now a reality. This shift does not just change how we move; it raises big questions about trust, responsibility, safety, and the role of technology in society.

Join us as our interdisciplinary panel brings together perspectives from traffic, business, communication, culture, and law to explore how self-driving cars will transform mobility and what it means for all of us when machines take the wheel.

Communication, Trust, and Public Perception
The way we talk about autonomous driving shapes how society perceives its risks and benefits. Communication research asks: How are self-driving cars represented in media and public discourse? How do framing, language, and narratives influence trust in automation? And what strategies are needed to foster informed, balanced, and critical discussions among citizens?

Safety, Regulation, and Traffic Realities
Despite the promise of fewer accidents, self-driving vehicles introduce new types of risks. How do they interact with human drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists in mixed traffic? What are the responsibilities of city authorities in testing, regulating, and raising awareness about these technologies in urban contexts?

Law, Responsibility, and Ethics
If a self-driving car causes an accident, who is responsible, the passenger, the manufacturer, the software developer? The law must adapt to unprecedented scenarios in liability, responsibility, and regulation. How can legal systems keep pace with rapid technological change while safeguarding citizens’ rights and ensuring accountability?

Panel speakers

• Dr. Wernher Brucks
  Traffic Deaprtment, Stadt Zürich
  Head of Traffic Safety focusing on, among others, road safety and accident analysis and prevention
• Elif Kuscu
  Business Administration, UZH
  PhD candidate focusing on Sustainable Operation Management
• Prof. Dr. Christine
  Lotscher ISEK, UZH
  Professor of Popular Literature and Media with a focus on Children’s and Youth Media
• Dr. Daniela Mahl
  Science Communication, UZH
  Senior Researcher focusing on the socio-cultural implications of technologies
• Prof. Dr. Nadine Zurkinden
  Law, UZH
  Professor of Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure Law
• Dr. Ilia Shilov
  Automatic Control Laboratory, ETH
  Postoctoral Researcher focusing on automatic control systems , multi-agent systems 
• Sophie Hall 
  Automatic Control Laboratory, ETH
  PhD candidate focusing on automatic control systems , multi-agent systems 

Agenda

• Welcome & Opening Remarks (10 min)
• Lightning Inputs from Invited Speakers (~5 min each)
• Group Discussions with Panelists at Tables (30 min)
• Panel Reflection & Q&A (20 min)
• Followed by drinks and a Mobility Pub-Quiz

Date
Wednesday, 8 October2025, 16:30-18:00

Location
SOC-E-010, DSI Event Room, UZH Center, Rämistrasse 69, Zurich

Registration
Registration is free
ema.uzh.ch/R3ARR

The event is accompanied by an apéro with a variety of small bites and drinks.

Flyer as PDF