This HAL 9000 Virtual Assistant Will Gladly Take Control of Your Home

The replica uses Amazon's Alexa. What could go wrong?

March 14, 2018 9:00 am

If the news of Amazon’s Alexa unprovoked laughing didn’t thoroughly disturb you, maybe a HAL 9000 replica will.

The iconic supervillain and supercomputer from Stanley Kubrick’s landmark sci-fi film 2001: A Space Odyssey is getting the real-life digital assistant treatment courtesy of Master Replicas Group.

Before you ask, yes it’s legit. The original Master Replicas company was founded in 2003 and produced prop replicas and high-end collectibles for franchises like Lord of the Rings and Star Trek.

The Master Replicas Group, then, is a new venture comprised of essentially the same team, which explains how the company scored an exclusive license from Warner Bros. to manufacture the exact replica of HAL 9000.

According to the Verge, the smart home interface — which is powered by Alexa — was given the greenlight in celebration of the film’s 50th anniversary this year. Basically, you’re looking at machine that has the same functionality of Amazon’s Echo, with a few surprises as seen in the video above.

No word on pricing yet, but the company says to expect preorders to go up in April.

And hey, if you’re a sci-fi fan but can’t get passed the fact Kubrick was trying to tell us something about artificial intelligence, Master Replicas still has you covered with a HAL 9000 mini USB drive.

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