- Eben Upton says AI could deter young people from tech jobs
- This could hurt the economy due to a shortage of engineers.
- Some are overstating the capabilities of AI tools and technology
Raspberry Pi founder Eben Upton has warned that AI is making people less likely to look for tech jobs and could therefore damage the economy of the future.
Speaking to the BBC’s Big Boss Interview podcast, Upton said technology could “distort people’s choices in ways that make skills shortages worse rather than better.”
Tech layoffs have surpassed 100,000 in 2026 so far, and many of them are attributed to companies’ use of AI.
AI is driving people away from tech jobs
Upton added that there is a level of overestimation of what AI chatbots can do, adding that this could “undo a lot of the good work that has been done, not just by Raspberry Pi, but by many other organizations.”
Upton founded Raspberry Pi in 2012 to provide an engaging way for young people to get involved in computing and programming.
Those who have developed a fundamental level of understanding for a technology role during their education, and who would then hope to expand their knowledge in a workplace, have found that the positions they would normally apply for are shrinking. Work that a decade ago would have been done by an entry-level employee is handed over to an artificial intelligence tool.
This, in turn, creates a self-feeding problem: how do you replace senior staff members who retire or change jobs if there is no talent pool to choose from?
Upton added his concern for parents worried about the direction their children’s education might take. “You read in the newspaper: ‘What guidance should you give your child about which GCSEs to choose in the context of an AI future?’ “We do not have data to make a rational decision in this regard.”
“The answer is: wait five years, wait 10 years and then maybe we’ll know something,” Upton added.
When asked if these problems could harm the economy, Upton responded: “Absolutely. We need a supply of engineers.”
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