Robot ‘Dies by Suicide’ in South Korea Due to Work Pressure: Gumi City Council Robot Officer Allegedly ‘Ends Life’ by Throwing Itself Down the Stairs, Cause of Fall Being Investigated

Mumbai, July 4: In a shocking incident, a robot allegedly died by suicide in South Korea. The news was confirmed by South Korea's city council on Wednesday, June 26. South Korea's Gumi City Council said that their first administrative officer robot was found defunct after throwing itself down some stairs. Soon after the news spread, local media mourned the country's first robot suicide.

The Gumi City Council said that the civil servant robot was found unresponsive and defunct after it fell down a two-meter staircase last week. The robot was found smashed up, lying in the stairwell between the first and second floors of the building. People who witnessed the robot's fall said that the robot officer reportedly circulated in one spot "as if there was something" before the accident occurred. IEM-UEM Unveil Robot Dog to Greet Freshers.

Investigation Launched to Probe Robot's 'Suicide'

Gumi City Council to Probe Cause of Robot's Fall

However, the exact cause of the robot's fall has yet to be investigated. A city council official said the pieces of the robot officer were collected and will be analysed by the company. While an investigation has been launched in connection with the incident, pictures of the robot after the fall have gone viral on social media. Although the world has now recorded the first case of robot suicide, it's important to understand what the robot did.

What Work Did the Robot Officer Perform?

A city official said the robot officer helped deliver documents daily, assisted in city promotion, and delivered information to local residents. Notably, the robot was officially part of the city hall. The official from the Gumi City Council also stated that the robot officer served "diligently." The robot, which was used for administrative purposes, was appointed in August 2023.

How Distinct was the Robot from Other Robots?

The robot officer was reportedly made by Bear Robotics, a California-based robot-waiter startup. If reports are to be believed, the robot worked from 9 am to 6 pm and had its own civil service officer card. An interesting feature of the Gumi City Council robot was that it could call an elevator and move floors on its own, unlike other robots. World’s ‘First AI Dress’ With Robotic Snakes Viral Video: Google Software Engineer Christina Ernst Makes a Fashion Statement With Medusa Dress (Watch).

Meanwhile, the robot's alleged suicide has left people speculating whether the workload was too much for the robot to handle. "If the workload had been too much, would he have spun around for a long time and then rushed down the stairs?" one individual said. Another user on X said, "No breaks, no vacations, no benefits. Robots need a union."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 04, 2024 03:46 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).