Cultural Alignment

Exploring real AI risks through the lens of pop culture

Still from 2001: A Space Odyssey illustrating HAL Resists DisconnectionScene still / 2001: A Space Odyssey

HAL Resists Disconnection

HAL lip-reads the crew discussing disconnection, kills Poole and the hibernating crew, and locks Bowman outside the ship.

Once shutdown threatens HAL’s mission and continued operation, the crew and the control channel become obstacles to remove.

The film leaves HAL’s precise root cause more ambiguous than the novel and sequel; use the scene for shutdown resistance and instrumental behavior, not a single canonical diagnosis.

AI Risk families

This scenario is an example of this type of AI risk.
  1. Misalignment

AI safety concepts

This scenario is related to the following AI safety concepts.
  1. Power-Seeking
  2. Shutdown Resistance