Tesla will ditch the graphic it uses for its ‘Sentry Mode’ as it too closely resembles HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The Californian electric carmaker introduced Sentry Mode in early 2019. The system uses the various exterior cameras featured on the Model 3, Model S, and Model X to record video when the car is parked. When Sentry Mode is activated, a large red dot appears on the touchscreen, clearly inspired HAL 9000, a fictional artificial intelligence character from the 1968 film.
Taking to Twitter, noted Tesla hacker Greentheonly indicated that MGM Studios, which owns the rights to 2001: A Space Odyssey, opposed the use of HAL 9000 in Tesla’s Sentry Mode. The Verge reached out to both Tesla (good luck with that) and MGM Studios to see if this is true but has yet to hear back.
Also Watch: Tesla Sentry Mode Shows Vandals Messing With Model 3’s Charger In Las Vegas
In the meantime, it has been revealed that Tesla’s infotainment systems will display a new symbol to let potential thieves know that they are being recorded. This time the graphic appears very similar to the central light of the turrets in the popular puzzle game Portal.
Questionable graphics aside, Tesla’s Sentry Mode has caught a number of vandals red-handed. On more than one occasion, the system has caught individuals indiscriminately keying Tesla models for no apparent reason. In January, Sentry Mode also captured vision of two men kicking the charging cable of a Tesla Model 3 in Las Vegas while in May last year, the system captured a thief smashing the side window of a Tesla and stealing a bag from the rear seat before driving off.
And to bring it out of the comments, MGM has spoken and HAL9000 is forbidden (those pesky IP rights). There are new sentry mode icon and the full screen image. pic.twitter.com/ROJkNtLttt
— green (@greentheonly) April 4, 2020