South Korea’s First ‘Robot Suicide’ Raises Concerns: Robot Civil Servant Falls Down Stairs at Gumi City Council

A robot civil servant in South Korea was discovered unresponsive at the foot of a stairwell, marking the country’s first ‘robot suicide’ case. Gumi City Council officials reported that the robot, known as “Robot Supervisor,” worked a conventional 9-to-5 workday and had its civil service ID card.

“Robot Supervisor” was apparently spotted by municipal staff about 4 p.m., who claimed that the robot had previously behaved abnormally, “circling in one spot as if something was there.”

“It was technically a member of the city hall staff, one of us.

According to the Daily Mail, a municipal official said “it worked diligently.”

What led to the ‘robot suicide’ in South Korea

While the cause of the fall is still being investigated, reports wonder whether the robot was asked ‘to work too hard’. The officials have collected the parts for analysis, which the robot’s maker is testing.

“Pieces have been collected and will be analysed by the company,” an official stated.

Bear Robotics, a California-based robot-waiter startup, produced the robot, which has been active since August 2023.

Unlike other service robots limited to single floors, the Gumi City Council robot explored the building independently, calling elevators to go between levels.

According to reports, the robot “helped with daily document deliveries, city promotion, and delivered information” to local residents.

The city council has postponed plans to deploy another robot.

According to reports, the Gumi City Council has postponed deploying another robot officer in response to this event.

According to the International Federation of Robotics, South Korea has a high rate of robot adoption, with one industrial robot for every ten employees.

Source: Daily Mail