HAL 9000 (nonfiction): Difference between revisions
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[[File:HAL9000.svg|thumb|HAL 9000 used lenses, something like the one shown here, to gather data in the visual electromagnetic spectrum. [[Artificial intelligence]] enables HAL to perform complex visual-data tasks, such as lip reading. | [[File:HAL9000.svg|thumb|HAL 9000 used lenses, something like the one shown here, to gather data in the visual electromagnetic spectrum. [[Artificial intelligence]] enables HAL to perform complex visual-data tasks, such as lip reading.]]'''HAL 9000''' (or simply '''HAL''') is a fictional character in Arthur C. Clarke's ''Space Odyssey'' series | ||
The name HAL derives from "Heuristically programmed [[ALgorithmic]]" (computer). | The name HAL derives from "Heuristically programmed [[ALgorithmic]]" (computer). | ||
Revision as of 11:37, 30 May 2016
HAL 9000 (or simply HAL) is a fictional character in Arthur C. Clarke's Space Odyssey series
The name HAL derives from "Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic" (computer).
HAL is a cultural icon with a personality of his own, who represents the promise and peril of technology generally and artificial intelligence specifically.
Description
First appearing in 2001: A Space Odyssey, HAL is a sentient computer (or artificial general intelligence) that controls the systems of the Discovery One spacecraft and interacts with the ship's astronaut crew.
HAL's exterior physical form is not depicted, though it is visually represented as a red television camera eye located on equipment panels throughout the ship, and its interior in the scene where his advanced memory modules are disconnected.
HAL 9000 is voiced by Douglas Rain in the two film adaptations of the Space Odyssey series and a short film voiced by Andrew Stanton.
HAL speaks in a soft, calm voice and a conversational manner, in contrast to the crewmen, David Bowman and Frank Poole, who speak tersely and with little inflection.
In the context of the series, HAL became operational on 12 January 1999 at the HAL Laboratories in Urbana, Illinois as production number 3; in the film 2001, the activation year was 1992 and 1991 in earlier screenplays.
In addition to maintaining the Discovery One spacecraft systems during the interplanetary mission to Jupiter (or Saturn in the original novel, published shortly after the release of the film), HAL is capable of speech, speech recognition, facial recognition, natural language processing, lip reading, art appreciation, interpreting emotional behaviours, automated reasoning, and playing chess.