The interactive courtroom is fresh off its selection for the Cannes 2026 Immersive Competition (Image: SUPPLIED)
Will AI kill us all? That’s the question on everyone’s lips this week. Following warnings from a researcher at Anthropic that artificial intelligence could eradicate the human race within the next decade, fierce debate has erupted over just how alarmed we ought to be. Even the King weighed in this week, suggesting AI could pose an “existential danger” if it falls into the wrong hands.
So, was attending a show in which an AI agent determines humanity’s destiny the wisest choice? Perhaps not. But nilor’s GAWD v. The People, at London’s Lightroom – following its selection for the Immersive Competition at Cannes 2026 – asks a rather more thoughtful question: does humanity deserve to survive?
Audience members volunteer to give evidence in front of the judge (Image: SUPPLIED)
In this courtroom, the audience becomes part of an AI-led tribunal, where volunteer witnesses take the stand to defend humanity’s right to remain on Earth, while an AI agent called GAWD bearing a disarmingly childlike voice, cross-examines them on their testimony. And because apparently humans aren’t the only ones with something to say, a selection of non-humans also give evidence – including a talking fern and an outdated Alexa.
At just an hour long, the show is enough to leave you feeling slightly uncomfortable without dragging you into a depressing hole of existential despair. It does an impressive job of being both comical and thought-provoking. One moment you might find yourself nodding – or whistling – along in agreement with one of the defendants, before laughing as GAWD tells an office plant: “Baby girl, calm down.”
For anyone who spends enough time online, there’s a familiarity about that collision of dark humour and unease. It’s like scrolling through your phone and finding a stream of memes where you’re left thinking: Should I be laughing at this? But, this subtle humour helps make the dark topic more tolerable – as does the setting.
The Lightroom is the world public premiere of the show (Image: SUPPLED)
There are no flashy, futuristic or hyper-sci-fi touches. Instead, the setup is almost comforting. The courtroom itself is about as standard as they come and the introduction to the tribunal feels more like that of a 90s American sitcom than a vision of some terrifying AI-powered future.
Even GAWD, depicted by a G-shaped face and red lips looks like an Art Attack mash-up. Speaking through a dated box television, complete with a judge’s wig, it is hardly the stuff of nightmares. But give it some thought and it becomes decidedly more unsettling. After all, AI is no longer some distant idea from a futuristic sci-fi thriller – it’s here, and it’s in our homes, and, in this case, it’s deciding our future.
Which brings me to the defendants. What the show relies on most is audience participation. While everyone is given a whistle to voice support and encouraged to submit evidence to an AI legal assistant the key players are the witnesses – and what they say will ultimately shape the night for the rest of us.
At points, their enthusiasm is enough to induce second-hand embarrassment as they debate their cases over the microphone. But there’s something exciting about knowing no two experiences will be the same – and that alone makes you want to go again.
Whether the purpose is to frighten you or, to some degree, reassure you (no spoilers), I’m still not quite sure. An hour is hardly enough time to work through the biggest questions facing humanity. But at the very least, GAWD v. The People gets you thinking about them – even if you’re safely seated in the audience, rather than sweating under the courtroom lights.
GAWD v. The People is showing at Lightroom
Tickets available via lightroom.uk
