New Delhi: Have you heard of a robot committing suicide?
In what is being called South Korea’s first ‘robot suicide’, a robot civil servant working for the Gumi City Council was discovered at the bottom of a stairwell between the first and second floors.
Witnesses saw the robot behaving strangely, “circling in one spot as if something was there,” before its untimely descent.
Gumi City Council said that its premier administrative officer robot apparently dropped “dead’ after going down a six-and-a-half foot flight of stairs.
The city council is speculating whether the now-defunct robot’s demise was, indeed, AFP reported.
The incident has triggered a national debate, leaving the community both puzzled and mourning.
An investigation is underway to determine what actually led to the ‘depressed’ robot’s demise.
“Pieces have been collected and will be analysed by the company,” Gumi City officials said.
Made by California-based startup Bear Robotics, the unique robot was the first of its kind to be appointed as a city council officer in Korea in August 2023.
Officials informed that the robot helped with daily document deliveries, city promotion and delivered information.
The cyborg, which had a civil service officer ID card, had the capability to move between floors on its own by calling an elevator.
Though it worked regular work hours between 9 am and 6 pm, its ‘death’ has prompted questions and discussions on multiple forums, including social media, about the robot’s workload and its implications.
Whether the probe manages to reveal whether it really was a ‘robot suicide’ or just a malfunction, conversations are bound to take place on the future of robots in human society.