Why robots suck Pt. 2: HAL 9000
This week we’re exposing examples of robots in pop culture that hinder the development of actual badass bots. If you missed the initial post on the subject, here’s a recap. Movies like I, Robot and that forthcoming Bruce Willis stink bomb feature pissed-off androids bent on human destruction. Who wants to fund a project like that? Here’s the 2nd guilty party in our series.
HAL 9000 is probably the most terrifying of the lot. He’s faceless, emotionless and the Discovery’s central nervous system. When astronauts Dave Bowman and Frank Poole discover that the supposedly infallible HAL has made a mistake in 2001: A Spacey Odyssey, they decide to shut down all but its most basic functions. HAL doesn’t take too kindly to this, and gets a bit homicidal.
At that point, the movie is part haunted house, part beat the clock and the very reason we don’t have Gypsy, Tom Servo or Crow on NASA missions! Arthur C. Clarke has provided sci-fi fans with one of the most memorable characters of all time, as well a strong deterrent for AI in outer space.
Think of what could be. Planet Express Ship! The Infinite Improbability Drive! Forget HAL, he’s why robots suck!