The full name of the artificial intelligence in 2001: A Space Odyssey is HAL 9000. HAL is the sentient computer responsible for operating the Discovery One spacecraft and interacting with astronauts David Bowman and Frank Poole.
The name HAL is an abbreviation of “Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic computer.” In the 1968 film, HAL speaks in a calm, conversational voice, voiced by Canadian actor Douglas Rain. Its polite manner contrasts sharply with the increasingly dangerous decisions it makes during the Jupiter mission, creating one of science fiction cinema’s most memorable portrayals of artificial intelligence.
A common mix-up is the claim that HAL was named as a one-letter shift from IBM: H-I, A-B, and L-M. Author Arthur C. Clarke and director Stanley Kubrick denied that this was intentional, explaining that the acronym came from the computer’s fictional description. HAL first appeared in the film, although the character also features prominently in Clarke’s related Space Odyssey novels. The fictional computer later became a major cultural symbol of technological anxiety and machine control.