- Eben Upton says artificial intelligence could put young people off tech jobs
- This could hurt the economy due to a shortage of engineers
- Some overhype the capabilities of AI tools and technology
Raspberry Pi founder Eben Upton has warned that artificial intelligence is making people less likely to apply for tech jobs and could therefore harm the future economy.
Speaking to the BBC’s Big Boss Interview podcast, Upton said the technology could “distort people’s choices in ways that make skills shortages worse, not better.”
Tech layoffs have topped 100,000 in 2026 so far, with many attributed to companies’ use of artificial intelligence.
AI is putting people off tech jobs
Upton added that there is a degree of overestimation of what AI chatbots can do, adding that this could “undo a lot of the good work that has been done, not only by Raspberry Pi, but by a lot of other organizations.”
Upton founded Raspberry Pi in 2012 to provide young people with an engaging way to get involved in computing and programming.
Those who have built a basic level of understanding of a tech role during their education, and who would then expect to further develop their knowledge in a workplace, have found that the positions they will typically apply for are decreasing. The work that a decade ago would have been done by an entry-level employee is instead handed over to an AI tool.
This in turn creates a self-perpetuating problem: how do you replace senior employees who retire or move jobs if there is no pool of talent to choose from?
Upton added that he was concerned about parents worried about the direction their children’s education might take. “You read in the paper: ‘What guidance should you give your child about which GCSEs to take in an AI future?’ We have no data to make a rational decision on that.”
“The answer is: wait five years, wait 10 years, and then we might know something,” Upton added.
When asked if these problems could hurt the economy, Upton replied, “Absolutely. We need a supply of engineers.”
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