Amy Burns

United States Air Force Research Laboratory

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Amy Burns is a qualitative researcher whose work probes the human dimensions of emerging technologies, with a particular focus on trust and autonomy. Her most-cited paper, "Exploring Trust Barriers to Future Autonomy: A Qualitative Look" (2017), has garnered 10 citations, establishing her as a thoughtful voice in understanding the psychological and social obstacles that impede the adoption of autonomous systems. Rather than quantifying trust through metrics, Burns employs in-depth qualitative methods to uncover the nuanced fears, ethical concerns, and relational dynamics that shape human-machine interactions. Her contributions lie in revealing that trust in autonomy is not merely a technical challenge but a deeply human one—rooted in transparency, control, and perceived reliability. This work has informed design principles for more user-centered autonomous technologies, influencing researchers in human-computer interaction and robotics. Burns’s approach underscores the importance of listening to end-users, making her research essential for developers seeking to build systems that people can genuinely rely on.