Autonomous public transit (APT) is quickly gaining traction as a means to efficiently and economically strengthen, enhance, and extend public transportation networks, while at the same time boosting mobility for disadvantaged groups. Autonomous shuttles are already operating in several cities around the world; generally, APT receives high praise from riders after they interact with the technology. However, perceptions of APT among the general population are understudied. This study examines sentiment expressed by users on Twitter as a means to better understand their perception, and how it can be influenced. Sentiments among tweeters are slightly more negative, 53 percent in opposed to APT and 47 percent in favor. Safety concerns are by far and away the leading cause of negative perceptions. Moreover, safety incidents have a significant influence on the online discourse surrounding APT. Exactly 75 percent of days with ten or more tweets were as a result of a safety incident; though, notably, these incidents involved human error, as opposed to a technological fault with APT. This however did not dissuade tweeters from blaming APT. Finally, the study finds that influential tweeters also significantly influence discourse, though potentially for the negative. Influential tweeters were 36 percent more likely to tweet about safety concerns as opposed to the average tweeter. Changing the online discourse surrounding APT may drastically boost acceptance and positive sentiments towards the technology.
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