On June 20, at approximately 4:00 pm, a service robot working at the Gumi City Council in South Korea experienced a tragic incident when it fell down a two-meter-high flight of stairs. The robot, named “Robot Supervisor,” stopped working after the fall and has since become known as the country’s first case of robot “suicide.”
The robot had been an integral part of city hall operations since it was selected in August 2023, assisting in transporting documents, promoting the city, and providing information to local residents. It was produced by Bear Robotics in California and worked from 9 am to 6 pm, even possessing its own civil servant ID card. Unlike other robots limited to a single floor, this robot could manually operate the elevator and move between floors.
The Gumi City Council reported that an investigation is still ongoing to determine the exact cause of the fall. The debris from the accident has been collected and will be analyzed by the robotics company. Despite the incident, the council currently has no plans to introduce a second public service robot.
The accident has sparked discussions regarding ethical considerations of integrating robots into positions traditionally held by humans. Concerns have also been raised about workload and well-being of robots in the workforce. As robots become increasingly common in many industries around the world, it is crucial to ensure that they are designed and used ethically to promote human welfare rather than replace human workers.
South Korea is renowned for its high robot density globally, with one industrial robot for every 10 employees according to International Federation of Robotics. However, this incident highlights that even with advanced technology, accidents can happen due to various reasons such as technical glitches or human error.
In conclusion, while robots have become an integral part of many industries around the world, we must remain vigilant about their use and ensure that they are designed and used ethically to promote human welfare rather than replace human workers.
