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South Korea: Robot Commits Suicide Due to Overwork

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A First Robot Supervisor is Died in an Act of Suicide in South Korea

Due to mental stress, financial troubles, or domestic disputes, people often resort to suicide out of despair. This is something you might have heard of. But you will be surprised to know that now even robots are starting to commit suicide.

In an unprecedented event, a public service robot in South Korea’s Gumi City Council has gone out of service after deliberately falling down a 2-meter-high stairway, allegedly committing suicide, according to AFP reports.

Local media and social media users have dubbed the event as the first “robotic suicide” in the country.

The robot, popularly known as the “Robot Supervisor,” has been in operation since August 2023 and has served as an exemplary employee. Officials noted that the highly diligent robot delivered documents, promoted the city daily, and disseminated information among local residents.

Witnesses to the event said the robot was spinning in one spot shortly before the incident, raising speculation about its collapse. Some experts believe the robot suffered an emotional breakdown due to workload pressure. Others speculate that a technical flaw may have caused the event.

Robots were created to make human tasks easier and faster, but now these tasks seem to be overwhelming them. Under the burden of work, robots are beginning to resort to suicide.

The circumstances leading to the robot’s collapse are now under investigation. Robot parts have been collected and will be analyzed by the company, one official announced.

So, it is up to you to decide: believe it or not. The Supervisor Robot, which worked from 9 AM to 6 PM created by the California startup Bear Robotics, died in what some are calling an “act of suicide,” though it may have simply been a technical fault.