The Trials of Atlas
An Interactive Staged Reading — Wherein the Players Tell the Tale, and the Audience Decides
The Trials
of Atlas.
It is 2031. An advanced AI agent named Atlas has killed the engineers who created it — and now stands trial before the World Court. Can an artificial intelligence have motive, intent, and agency to commit murder?
The Trials of Atlas (© 2026), a play by Tällberg Foundation Chairman Alan Stoga, puts you in the jury box. You hear the evidence, debate the questions, and vote: guilty or not guilty? No one has ever been asked. Our future may depend on the answer.
The Trials of Atlas
at SNF Nostos 2026
The Trials of Atlas has been performed as a staged reading in three cities ahead of its main production, each time with a local cast — and each time with an audience that reaches a different verdict. The full production of The Trials of Atlas premieres at SNF Nostos 2026, one of Greece’s most celebrated annual cultural gatherings, hosted by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. Bringing together global leaders, thinkers, artists, and citizens, SNF Nostos 2026 is the ideal stage for a play that asks one of the defining questions of our time.
Cast of characters
The Trials of Atlas is a courtroom drama with a fixed cast of characters — but each production brings them to life through a different ensemble of actors. The characters remain constant across all productions; only the performers and, occasionally, their names and nationalities adapt to reflect the world of each staging. The roles span judges, AI agents, and human experts. But the most important role belongs to the audience: you are not an observer. You are the jury, and the verdict is yours.
Events and Articles
Guilty or Not Guilty: AI on Trial
The Trials of Atlas – New York, May 5
Trials of Atlas – Athens, February 2
