South Korean 'robot employee' falls down stairs, 'robot suicide' sparks social media frenzy

SEOUL: A robot employee of the Gumi Municipal Council office went viral on social media as "robot suicide" after a technical failure caused it to fall down a staircase.

The robot, working as a supervisor, became dysfunctional and fell down the stairs from the second floor of the building. Before falling, it circled in the same direction as if confused. Once it fell, the robot became completely still. This incident occurred in the evening of June 27.

Since August 2023, the robot had been diligently delivering files and providing information to colleagues and visitors. Typically, the robot operated on a single floor, using the elevator to access upper levels. It worked from 6 to 9 in the morning, similar to human employees and even had an ID card.

Experts from Bayer Robotics, the company that manufactured the robot, have started investigating the cause, which is believed to be due to an orientation error, sensor failure or a programming virus.

South Korea leads the world in implementing automation technology, with the highest number of robots per capita. On average, there is one robot for every ten employees in the country.