Recent suicide by robot means artificial intelligence is achievable

There are two possible conclusions that can be drawn from the first-ever, tragic apparent suicide by a cleaning robot, in Austria.

The first, of course, is the inevitable reiteration of the dangerously mind-numbing drudgery of repetitive housework. If that can provoke suicidal thoughts in a robot programmed to do only housework, without any recourse to compensating distractions such as tea breaks, phone calls and morning TV soap opera reruns, then humans doing the same task under similar conditions should definitely be more adequately compensated.

Maybe some mental safety guidelines should also be laid down so that those undertaking such jobs are not pushed to taking extreme steps.

On a more positive note, this unfortunate incident could also be regarded as the first concrete evidence that artificial intelligence is achievable.

The makers of the robot most likely had no greater goal than to invent a machine that could take over the mundane task of cleaning, but the fact that their creation displayed that most human of emotions—despair—has catapulted this gadget into another plane.

Whether the nature of the task or the involuntary genius of its inventors is what prompted a robot whose circuitry had not been programmed to feel anything to commit self-immolation should keep scientists engaged for a while.