Robot civil servant in South Korea found at bottom of staircase in apparent 'suicide'

An administrative officer robot at the Gumi City Council building in South Korea.

An administrative robot met an unexpected and fatal end after falling down a staircase in South Korea's Gumi City Council on Wednesday. This event has led local media to refer to it as the nation's first robot "suicide."

Last week, the robot was found unresponsive at the base of a staircase. According to witnesses, the robot appeared to be "circling in one spot as if something was there" before it fell. The precise cause of the fall is currently under investigation, with the robot’s manufacturer analysing the collected pieces to determine what went wrong.

A city council official detailed the robot's duties, which included delivering documents, promoting city initiatives, and providing information to residents. "It was officially a part of the city hall, one of us," another official noted. "It worked diligently and was an important part of our daily operations."

The robot, created by Bear Robotics, a startup based in California, was introduced to the Gumi City Council in August 2023. This robot was able to navigate multiple floors using elevators, unlike many other service robots that are restricted to a single level.

The robot's sudden ‘death’ has sparked a variety of reactions and headlines, with local media speculating whether the robot found its duties overwhelming.

South Korea is recognised for its leading role in robot integration, boasting the highest robot density globally, with one industrial robot for every ten employees, as per the International Federation of Robotics.

The Gumi City Council has announced that there are no current plans to replace the robot.