Mechanical Menace: America's First 'Robot' Fatality Happened 45 Years Ago

First Human Casualty Involving Robot

Robotics and AI as tools have contributed immensely to the advancement of society. But, it has not all been good, these technologies have shown their sinister side to the world and taken many lives in the process. On January 25, 1979, robots caused their first fatality in the U.S.A. by taking the life of factory worker, Robert Williams, in Flat Rock, Michigan, IFL Science reported. The death caused a never-before-seen issue for the legal system as they had to decide on whether a robot could be considered a 'murderer' and if so who would be punished for its actions.

Robot's Arm Hits Robert Williams

Robert Williams was tasked with scaling a massive shelving unit in a Ford Motor Company casting plant when this disaster occurred, LAD Bible reported. The work was going smoothly, but suddenly the five-storied machine being used to retrieve the castings started giving false readings. The 25-year-old had to manually go into the machine to take the reading when it slowly started to operate. The robot arm that was picking up various parts, hit Williams on the head and he died instantly. The other workers noted Williams' absence after 30 minutes and retrieved his body from the front of the robotic arm which had been going on all this while, IFL Science reported. An investigation revealed that the robotic arm 'attacked' because of misidentifying Williams as an inanimate object that needed to be moved for smooth functioning.

Robert's Family Sues Machine Manufacturer

In 1983, the Williams family sued the manufacturer of the machine, Litton Industries, for the death of Robert Williams, IFL Science reported. Their legal representative argued that sufficient safety devices were not installed in the robotic arm to prevent such a disaster. The family was rewarded $10 million in compensation, which at that time was the biggest personal injury award in state history. A year later, the compensation was raised to $15 million by court authorities. Paul Rosen, the family's lawyer claimed then that it was extremely important that people don't become expendable for the sake of profits and by extension machines. ''I think we have to be very careful that we don't go backward to the kind of notions we had during the Industrial Revolution that people are expendable,'' he explained.

 Kenji Urada in Japan

In 1981, Kenji Urada was killed by a mechanical arm in Japan, IFL Science reported. Urada's circumstances were similar to what happened with Williams two years ago in Michigan. The 37-year-old was employed as a worker at the Kawasaki Heavy Industries plant in Akashi. The disaster unfolded when he was checking on a malfunctioning robot and was suddenly hit by its arm. The man allegedly switched the robot on by leaping over a chain-fence safety barrier in the factory which ultimately caused the 'attack.' Though other workers tried to help Urada, they couldn't switch off the machine in time, The Guardian reported.

More Deaths by Robots and Actions

According to a 2023 study, around 41 robot-related fatalities occurred in the U.S. from 1992 to 2017. Almost half of them happened in the Midwest area, which is bustling with industrial activities, IFL Science reported. Seeing all these incidents as well as the massive impact, the technology has been having on human livelihood, the government has stepped in to regulate robots, Wired reported. In 2023, the Bidden-Harris administration met up with 15 private industry leaders to seek help from them in understanding risks associated with the new technology, as per the White House Administration.