World's First 'Robot Suicide'? South Korean City Council's 'Diligent' Officer Found Shattered

The incident took place around 4 pm last Thursday, when the robot -- which is now defunct -- fell down a two-metre staircase.

The 'Robot Supervisor' was found in a heap at the bottom of the stairwell between the first and second floors of the Gumi City council building, Daily Mail UK reported.

Promptly responding to the incident, officials said that the shattered pieces of the robot have been collected for analysis by the company, adding that the exact cause of the fall is being probed.

Stating that the robot was behaving strangely, witnesses described the civil servant to be "circling in one spot as if something was there".

The 'Robot Supervisor' appointed in August 2023, it was one of the first to be used in such a manner. It reportedly helped the city council with daily document deliveries, city promotion and information delivery to local residents.

"It was official a part of the city hall, one of us. It worked diligently," an official was quoted as saying.

Local media questioned the apparent robot suicide, asking "Why did the diligent civil officer do it? or asking "Was work too hard" for the robot?

Several netizens responded saying, "If the workload had been too much, would he have spun around for a long time and then rushed down the stairs", while others said, "I pray that scrap metal rests in peace."

Amid all this 'suicide' news, experts have reportedly said that it could be most likely a technical glitch or malfunction.

Developed by a Californian robot-waiter startup, Bear Robotics, the 'robot supervisor' worked 9 hours, from 9 am to 6 pm, and had its own civil service officer card.

Unlike the usual routine where robots could use only one floor, the Gumi City Council robot officer could move around floors using the elevator.

Notably, South Korea has the highest robot density in the world, with one industrial robot alloted for every 10 employees, the International Federation of Robotics said.