What is with the baby at the end of 2001: A Space Odyssey?

The Rebirth of Man, paired with the epiphany of The Creator.

It appears this monolith is walking humanity through evolution. First the monkeys, then leading humans to the moon, then to Jupiter. It’s a beautiful movie. So the baby thing is like a rebirth. I love that

It’s essentially David Bowman as a ghost, light/energy being after going through a portal in/around the monolith. His age is more or less randomly depicted.

In the later books you learn that the creators of the monolith were once flesh and blood but merged with their technology. That’s what happened to David Bowman. His consciousness was digitized in the monolith. There is a cool plot twist about the monolith in 3001.

Although I do agree with you, if you don’t know the story it’s a bit inscrutable.

The final shot of the fetus overlooking Earth symbolizes the birth of a new being or a rebirth of humanity.

The evolution of human existence, shaped by the monoliths and their creators, has transcended into a realm of consciousness.