Robot 'suicide' in South Korea: What caused it and its impact on the future of robotics

In a first-of-its-kind incident in South Korea, a robot civil servant named "Robot Supervisor" was found unresponsive at the bottom of a stairwell. The robot, employed by the Gumi City Council, was discovered at around 4 pm following reports of peculiar behavior. Investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of what is being termed as a 'robot suicide.'

"Robot Supervisor" operated on a standard 9-to-5 shift and even had its own civil service ID card. The robot was reportedly "circling in one spot as if something was there" before the incident, according to the council staff who found it.

“It was officially a part of the city hall staff, one of us. It worked diligently,” a council official said, as per a report by Daily Mail.


Officials are questioning whether the robot was overworked, as the cause of the fall remains under investigation. The robot's parts have been collected for analysis by its manufacturer.

“Pieces have been collected and will be analysed by the company,” an official said.

The "Robot Supervisor" was developed by Bear Robotics, a California-based company known for its robot-waiters. Operational since August 2023, the robot was not restricted to single floors and could navigate the entire building, including calling elevators to move between levels.

The robot assisted with daily document deliveries, city promotion, and providing information to local residents.

In light of the incident, the Gumi City Council has decided to postpone plans to deploy another robot officer.

According to the International Federation of Robotics, South Korea is a leader in robot adoption, with one industrial robot for every ten employees.

(With ToI inputs)