The Roles
These roles appear in every production of The Trials of Atlas
Judge. Oversees the trial.
Prosecutor. Argues that Atlas is guilty of murder.
Defense. Argues that Atlas cannot be guilty of murder.
Atlas — Defendant. The AI agent on trial.
Sentinel — Witness. The independent AI failsafe that failed to intervene on the day of the accident.
Expert Witness. Professor of AI and Machine Learning. Testifies on emergent capabilities of advanced AI systems.
Expert Witness. Neuroscientist and Director of the Allen Institute for Brain Science. Testifies on consciousness, intent, and moral agency.
Tianming-9 — Witness. A second AI agent — with different training and values than Atlas — whose testimony illuminates what Atlas could have done differently.
The Audience — The Jury. You are not observers. You are the jury. After testimony and deliberation, you vote: Guilty or not guilty?