In a harrowing incident at a pepper sorting plant in South Xiaonan Province, South Korea, a robotic mishap resulted in the death of a 40-year-old employee from a robotics company, as reported by the BBC. The man had been on-site to inspect a robot designed for lifting and transferring boxes onto pallets. Tragically, the machine failed to distinguish him from a box of vegetables, leading to a gruesome accident where it gripped him and pressed his body against a conveyor belt, causing severe injuries. Despite immediate medical attention, the man could not be saved.

Originally scheduled for November 6, the technical test had been delayed by two days due to issues with the robot's sensors. Following the incident, Donggoseong Export Agricultural Complex, the plant's owner, called for the implementation of a "precise and safe" system to prevent such tragedies in the future.

This unsettling incident raises important questions about the safety of increasingly advanced robotics, echoing concerns expressed by figures like Elon Musk regarding the potential risks posed by autonomous machines.