An administrative robot employed by the Gumi City Council in South Korea was recently found unresponsive after allegedly falling down a flight of stairs. This incident has left the local community in shock, with many dubbing it as the nation’s first robot suicide.
The robot, which was responsible for civil service tasks, was found in pieces between the first and second floors of the council building. According to the city council, the robot fell down a two-meter staircase last month and was found unresponsive.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing the robot moving in circles prior to the fall, but the exact cause is still under investigation, according to a council official cited by AFP. The robot’s components have been collected for further analysis.
The robot’s duties included delivering documents, promoting the city, and providing information to residents. This incident has raised questions in the local media about whether the robot was overburdened with work.
In service since August of the previous year, this administrative robot was one of the first of its kind used by Gumi City Council. Manufactured by Bear Robotics, a California-based startup, the robot worked from 9 AM to 6 PM and was equipped with its own civil service officer card. Unlike other robots that operate on a single floor, this one could call elevators and move between floors independently.
At present, the Gumi City Council does not have plans to replace the robot. South Korea is known for its extensive use of robots, boasting the highest robot density in the world. According to the International Federation of Robotics, South Korea has one industrial robot for every ten employees.