‘Robot Suicide’ or Malfunctioning?

AI Rising Podcast

In the latest episode of AI Rising, our hosts Leslie D’Monte and Jayanth N Kolla, debunk the news of a ‘robot suicide’ in South Korea and discuss what exactly went down. Recently, a case was reported from Gumi City Council in South Korea where a civil servant robot allegedly 'committed suicide', which was termed as the country’s first 'robot suicide'.

The Daily Mail had reported the incident and stated that the 'Robot Supervisor' allegedly committed suicide on 26 June as its parts were found scattered under the stairs between the first and second floors of the council building. The robot used to work as an employee of Gumi City Council every day from 9 am to 6 pm.

While the news brings attention to the question of a robot’s rights, it also exaggerates the event. ‘Robot suicide’ would imply that the robot had become sentient. Leslie points out that there was no such thing. Moreover, he adds, the manufacturing company of the robot had released a statement highlighting that the robot was malfunctioning. Attributing the exaggeration of the news to Korean’s love for robots, our hosts discuss whether a robot has rights. Tune in for an insightful episode!