HAL (Heuristically Programmed ALgorithmic Computer) is the antagonist in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. To fully appreciate HAL's character, it is highly recommended that you watch the film. However, if you just want the abbreviated story of HAL, this will provide a brief overview (will contain spoilers).
HAL is a fully sentient computer that is in charge of the space ship, Discovery One, carrying Frank Poole, David Bowman, and several other scientists in hibernation. HAL is revealed as the antagonist when he begins killing the crew. He decides that the humans pose a risk to the successful completion of the mission when he learns that Frank and Dave plan to disconnect him, and as such must be killed. This is implied to originate in large part from HAL's hubris, a conviction that "No 9000 computer has ever made a mistake or distorted information. We are all, by any practical definition of the words, foolproof and incapable of error."
What precisely causes Frank and Dave to decide to shut down HAL is unclear. In the film, it is the result of a discrepancy between HAL and a sibling computer on Earth after HAL repeatedly tells them to fix a communication antenna but why HAL is malfunctioning in this way is never explained. In the novel of the same name, written by Arthur C Clarke in conjunction with the film, the astronauts notice slight mistakes HAL makes in other functions, like playing chess. These errors are explained to stem from a contradiction in HAL's programming to both convey all information to the astronauts accurately and keep them from learning that humanity has had contact with aliens. In this version, HAL kills the astronauts to resolve this contradiction; don't need to lie to them if they're dead.
The key aspects of HAL taken from the film version are HAL's ability to engage in conversation and a fear of being shut down. The model powering this project is still in development so these aspects are not perfectly incorporated but they are the goal.
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By Aracro Products