9-hour shift, no rest time: Robot kills self due to heavy workload
PTC News Desk: In an offbeat incident, work pressure appears to have claimed its latest victim in South Korea - a robot! Yes, you read that right.
On June 26, South Korea’s Gumi City Council announced that its top administrative officer robot was found ‘dead’ after leaping down a six-and-a-half-foot flight of stairs. The city council is speculating whether the robot’s demise was an ‘act of suicide’ as an official caught the robot “circling in one spot as if something was there” before the tragedy.
Investigation is underway to determine the “depressed” robot's death.
The robot's unexpected death has sparked a conversation about the mental well-being of even the most advanced technologies of the time.
Gumi City officials informed that an investigation will be kicked off, digging into the supposedly “depressed” robot’s death. “Pieces have been collected and will be analysed by the company.”
The ‘depressed’ robot:
The robot in question was the first of its kind to be appointed as the city council officer in August 2023, the robot could move between floors independently by calling an elevator.
The robot was made by California-based root startup Bear Robotics, primarily known for its restaurant-serving robots.
According to an official, it “helped with daily document deliveries, city promotion, and delivered information.” Like any other regular human employee, the cyborg worked from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
South Korea is well known for its rapidly adopting robotic technology. However, this incident has spotlighted the intense work pressure prevalent in South Korea and how it is even affecting the mental well-being of the most advanced technologies.
People have reacted to this with mixed reactions, one person commented “I pray that scrap metal rests in peace.”
By Bipasha Mehta
- With inputs from agencies
