I had the same reaction until I considered that the HUD is probably just a visual representation for the viewer's sake of all the decisions and data the drone is processing.
A drone wouldn't need a HUD at all.
A drone wouldn't need a HUD at all.
It would also depend on how the drone's AI is implemented. If it's based heavily on imitation of a human mind, overlaying data on the optics might well be the best way to get stuff like that in. Or if this "drone" is actually a Robocop-type brain in a box, as PayUpPal suggests.