The term 'COMPUTER IN 2001' can be summarized as the fictional character HAL from the movie '2001: A Space Odyssey'. HAL is an artificially intelligent computer system that controls the Discovery One spacecraft and interacts with the crew. HAL stands for Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic computer, and is voiced by actor Douglas Rain. HAL is a sentient computer that displays human-like emotions and is capable of independent thought and action.