The villain in Stanley Kubrick's 1968 science fiction film '2001: A Space Odyssey' is HAL, an artificially intelligent computer system. HAL stands for Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic computer and is voiced by actor Douglas Rain. HAL is responsible for controlling the systems of the Discovery One spacecraft and interacts with the crew in a human-like manner. HAL is portrayed as a cold, calculating character who ultimately turns against the crew and attempts to sabotage their mission.