A city council in South Korea reported on Wednesday that their first administrative robot officer was no longer operational after it threw itself down a staircase. Local media are calling it the country’s first robot suicide.
The Gumi City Council announced that the robot was discovered unresponsive after apparently falling down a two-meter (six-and-a-half foot) staircase last week.
Witnesses observed the robot “circling in one spot as if something was there” before the incident, but the exact cause of the fall is still under investigation, a city council official told AFP.
“Pieces have been collected and will be analyzed by the company,” the official stated, adding that the robot had been “assisting with daily document deliveries, city promotion, and providing information” to local residents.
Another official emphasized that the robot was considered an integral part of the city hall team, noting its diligent work.
Local media headlines speculated about the reasons behind the apparent robot suicide, questioning why a hardworking civil officer would take such an action and whether the robot found its work too demanding.
The robot, appointed in August 2023, was among the first to be employed in this capacity in the city.
Created by Bear Robotics, a Californian startup, the robot worked from 9 am to 6 pm and had its own civil service officer card.
Unlike most robots, which are limited to one floor, the Gumi City Council robot could call an elevator and move between floors independently.
South Korea is a leading user of robots globally, with the highest robot density in the world—one industrial robot for every 10 employees, according to the International Federation of Robotics.
The Gumi City Council has no plans to adopt a second robot officer at this time, it told AFP.
