Robot suicide? Troubled android throws itself down the stairs in South Korea; here’s what happened

A South Korean civil servant robot reportedly ‘committed suicide’ due to extreme work pressure. As per a report by The Daily Mail, the robot threw itself down a two-meter staircase due to “unexplained reasons”. It was found all smashed up lying in the stairwell between first and the second floors of the building. As per the report, this was the first robot suicide ever.

Going by the witnesses, the robot was circulating in one spot as if 'something were there' before the puzzling incident. Notably, the exact cause of this accident is still unknown and is being probed. As per the officials, “Pieces have been collected and will be analysed by the company.”

This robot was responsible to help with daily document deliveries, city promotion and delivering information to residents. A source told the publication that the robot was officially a part of the city hall and served “diligently”. Appointed back in October 2023, it was the first robot that served the Gumi City Council.

The robot was manufactured by a California-based startup called Bear Robotics and had its own employee ID card. His working hours were from 9 am to 4 pm. In terms of functionality, it was capable of calling an elevator and move across floors on its own.

Netizens have started reacting to the news by giving ideas of what they think happened with the robot. One user on X wrote, “Robot workers need workers union to raise their voice.” while another wrote, “No breaks, no vacations, no benefits. Robots need a union.”

Prior to this, in Washington, it was reported that a security robot called Steve committed suicide by drowning itself in a water fountain. However, it was later discovered that the accident was caused due to skidding a "loose brick surface", that led to the robot tumbling and falling four stories into the fountain.