What Sci-Fi Taught Me About Design, Ep. 3: Why HAL 9000 Failed Usability Testing

HAL 9000 is sleek.

HAL 9000 is intelligent.

HAL 9000 will quietly remove the humans from the equation.

Which is a bit of a UX fail.

On the surface, HAL is everything you want from a voice interface. Calm tone. Natural language. Full access to the system.

But as a user experience, HAL is a masterclass in what happens when you design for control - not collaboration.

The problem isn’t that HAL makes a mistake.

It’s that no one can correct him.

There’s no override. No reset. No “Oops, I didn’t mean that” button.

The interface is confident, unblinking, and emotionally tone-deaf.

What can we learn from this?

🧠 Smart systems need off switches

🧠 Users should never feel trapped inside a flow

🧠 Trust comes from feedback, not flawless tone

🧠 The best interface doesn’t just answer - it reassures, explains, and adapts

Designing for intelligence doesn’t mean removing control.

It means designing with the user, not just for them.