Chapter HAL - The Most Human of Them All? of 2001: A Space Odyssey - Study Guide by Arthur C. Clarke and Stanley Kubrick

seems that consciousness is consciousness as far as the aliens are concerned, whether carbon or silicon based. This is unsurprising given that Clarke informs us in 2001 that the aliens used to store their "thoughts alone" in "shining new homes of metal and plastic." But even in the original film, Hal is never just a monster. Like Frankenstein's synthesised human (the parallels to that work of fiction are self-evident), we feel, ultimately, sympathy for him as misunderstanding leads to murderous behaviour. It is hard to ignore the fact that Hal's pleading not to be disconnected strongly suggests a genuine human-esque fear: he "Please stop, Dave... Please stop... my mind is going... I can feel it... I'm afraid Dave... I'm afraid..." until he is reduced to a groaning lament of "Daisy, Daisy." (screenplay)