In an unexpected event, a robot civil servant employed by the Gumi City Council in South Korea has ignited a national discussion following what many are referring to as the country's first "robot suicide." The incident occurred around 4 pm last Thursday, leaving the community in both confusion and mourning.
The robot, named the 'Robot Supervisor,' was found in pieces at the bottom of a stairwell between the first and second floors of the council building. Witnesses reported the robot behaving oddly, "circling in one spot as if something was there," before its tragic fall.
City council officials swiftly responded, collecting the shattered robot's parts for analysis. While the cause of the fall remains unknown, the incident has raised questions about the robot's workload and its broader implications.
Employed since August 2023, this industrious mechanical assistant performed a variety of tasks, from delivering documents and promoting the city to providing information to residents. The robot was a constant presence in city hall, equipped with its own civil service officer card, and worked tirelessly from 9 am to 6 pm, navigating between floors using elevators – a rare capability among its kind.
Developed by Bear Robotics, a California-based startup known for creating robot waiters, the Gumi City Council robot had a significantly broader range of duties. It was part of a pioneering effort in South Korea, a country recognized for its high robot density – with one industrial robot for every ten employees, according to the International Federation of Robotics.
The robot’s sudden demise has elicited a mix of emotions and opinions in local media and online forums. Some are questioning whether the robot was overworked, while others ponder the broader implications of integrating robots into everyday human tasks.
For now, the Gumi City Council has chosen not to replace their fallen mechanical colleague. This tragic event has led to a pause in their robot adoption plans, prompting a moment of reconsideration in a nation renowned for its enthusiasm for automation.
So, was it truly a "robot suicide" or merely a tragic malfunction? While we may never fully comprehend the mechanical mind, one thing is clear – this incident has sparked a crucial conversation about the future of robots in our society.
Sumit Rawat
