Most of us have experienced workplace stress at some point in our lives, prompting some to seek better job positions with higher decision latitude and opportunities for learning (JDC model of workplace stress). Others remain in their roles, finding ways to cope thanks to the intricate design of human cognition, where some rationalize, or binge eat to deal with stress (it helps some). Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for a unique robot civil servant, which met an untimely end.
The Gumi City Council’s diligent robot was discovered at the bottom of a stairwell between the first and second floors. Witnesses observed the robot behaving oddly, “circling in one spot as if something was there,” before its sudden descent.
Gumi City Council reported that their one-of-a-kind administrative officer robot apparently “dropped dead” after navigating a six-and-a-half-foot flight of stairs. The “diligent” robot, which was the first of its kind to assist the council with daily document delivery and municipal promotion, appears to have succumbed to work-related stress, as per accounts.
Theo Page, a 20-year-old expat in Dubai, found the incident interesting, yet suggests that it could just be a malfunction in the software. He stated, “Since they made a robot for a new entirely environment. It could be that it was overworked which sent the software on overdrive. Hence, the circling could’ve just been a break in the software occurred.”
When asked to describe the incident in a word, he adds “I believe my word is ‘revolutionary’. I say this because if they do end up finding the root problem of this then imagine a whole work force of robots doing this type of mundane jobs.”
Hanfas Iqbal, 19, who currently studies at 42 Abu Dhabi, also shares similar insight, finding the incident funny, and also assumes the posts were satirical. He said, “Circling in one spot suggests it’s sensors aren’t working.” “Someone could have just spilled their drink on it making it malfunction, rather than it having actual feelings and committing suicide.” He added.
Fedora Fernandes, a recently graduated student of GEMS Winchester School, Dubai, was shocked and raises concerns from a humanistic aspect, stating, “If a robot that is traditionally considered to be “emotionless” can be so deeply affected by the stress of day to day work then how can we as humans be expected to cope with it?”
Despite cognitive psychologists using computer analogies to understand cognition, and the Turing test being used as a baseline to develop AI, there always needs to be a clear boundary between both humans and computers that people must understand. Albeit tragic and simultaneously humorous, it is very likely that it’s programming has crashed.
Srinivasan P, an IT manager, set the boundary between a human and a robot straight, by stating, “This is clearly a malfunction of the device and people are just reading too much into this and trying to humanize an electronic device.” He also comically suggests that “if a computer crashes because it is running a number of programs way past its capacity does that also count towards suicide?”
