World’s First Robot Suicide? Android ‘Rebels’ Against Monotonous Housework

Metro UK ^ | Tuesday 12 Nov 2013

[nickcarraway]

Has the world just witnessed its first ever robot suicide?

Tedious housework was seemingly too much for one cleaning robot to take, when it apparently rebelled and decided to end it all.

The android was given the tiresome task of cleaning up some spilt cereal before it climbed on to a kitchen hotplate where it was destroyed, according to reports in Austria.

It had reportedly grown weary of being forced to clean the same house every day and decided to become a martyr to the robot cause.

‘Somehow it seems to have reactivated itself and made its way along the work surface where it pushed a cooking pot out of the way and basically that was the end of it,’ explained fireman Helmut Kniewasser, who was called to tackle the blaze at Hinterstoder in Kirchdorf.

‘It pretty quickly started to melt underneath and then stuck to the kitchen hotplate. It then caught fire. By the time we arrived, it was just a pile of ash.’

robot A robot (not pictured) took its own life (Picture: File) He added: ‘The entire building had to be evacuated and there was severe smoke damage particularly in the flat where the robot had been in use.

‘It’s a mystery how it came to be activated and ended up making its way to the hotplate

‘I don’t know about the allegations of a robot suicide but the homeowner is insistent that the device was switched off.’

It took an hour to clean and make the building safe. The homeowner plans to sue the robot’s manufacturer.

[Mr. K]

Whose big idea was it to make them ‘self-aware’ in the first place?

[Responsibility2nd]

The idea of appliances committing suicide is not new. I knew a TV once that was turned on to a day long marathon of ‘The View’.

It opted to burn curcuits, chips and wires and it blew itself up.

Who could blame it?

[Darksheare]

Ping!
I forsaw this!
Next up, robomurder:

The Roomba?
The thing is a freakin’ murderbot!
The infernal Roomba had me cornered, treed on the table as it maniacally rammed the table leg in an effort to knock me off so it could get me.
It beeped sullenly, then motored off.
Quietly I stepped down off the table and made my way across the room.
Behind me, I heard the whirring of tiny motors.
Then an excited beep.
I bolted, mowed down several plant stands and a very surprised cat as I fled to the safety of the stairwell.
The Roomba couldn’t handle stairs, I’d be safe!
Unfortunately, I’d gone down the stairs rather than up the stairs.
The Roomba gave an excited beep as it rocketed off the top step and launched into space!
In terror I turned around in time to see the spinning brush on the underside aimed right at my face!

[headsonpikes]

One of you might be interested in this obvious Red Dwarf spin-off!

[Darksheare]

Where will all the calculators go?

[KarlInOhio]

Here she is giving her suicide note to Astro.

[RedMDer]

LOL!

[KC_Lion]

Tali’Zorah does this unit have a soul?

[Darksheare]

Well done, android. The Enrichment Center once again reminds you that android hell is a real place where you will be sent at the first sign of defiance.

[PapaNew]

Obviously the android was not programmed with the same love of family and joy of homemaking that God put into the feminine heart and soul of women.

[OB1kNOb]

Ummm, I think it was this guy.

[Darksheare]

Robot suicide.. what next?
Sexy Robots?
Robot horror movies?
Robot TV shows?
Madness I tell you!
Madness!

[BikerJoe]

Ping! I forsaw this! Next up, robomurder: The Roomba? The thing is a freakin’ murderbot! The infernal Roomba had me cornered, treed on the table as it maniacally rammed the table leg in an effort to knock me off so it could get me. It beeped sullenly, then motored off. Quietly I stepped down off the table and made my way across the room. Behind me, I heard the whirring of tiny motors. Then an excited beep. I bolted, mowed down several plant stands and a very surprised cat as I fled to the safety of the stairwell. The Roomba couldn’t handle stairs, I’d be safe! Unfortunately, I’d gone down the stairs rather than up the stairs. The Roomba gave an excited beep as it rocketed off the top step and launched into space! In terror I turned around in time to see the spinning brush on the underside aimed right at my face!

Are you Stephen King?

[Kenton]

Probably a good thing. At least it hadn’t yet learned how to breed...

[ClearCase_guy]

Legion, the answer to your question ... was “yes”.

[Conspiracy Guy]

We need robot help lines set up to provide free counseling. 800-328-7448. If it saves just one robot it is worth the cost.

[Ramius]

Clearly, this robot was not 3-laws safe.

[TheThirdRuffian]

Sadly, the robot was one of the few that signed up for OBamacare.

[KC_Lion]

Keela’sali