- Eben Upton says AI could deter young people from tech jobs
- This could hurt the economy due to a shortage of engineers
- Some overestimate the capabilities of AI tools and technology
Raspberry Pi founder Eben Upton has warned that AI makes people less likely to pursue tech jobs and could therefore harm 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 the skills shortage worse, rather than better.”
Layoffs in the tech sector have so far surpassed 100,000 in 2026, many of them attributed to companies’ use of AI.
AI is distracting people 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 only by Raspberry Pi, but by many other organizations.”
Upton founded Raspberry Pi in 2012 to provide young people with an engaging way to get involved with computing and programming.
Those who gained a basic level of understanding for a technology role during their studies and would then expect to expand their knowledge in a workplace found that the roles they typically applied for declined. Work that would have been done a decade ago by an entry-level employee is instead outsourced to an AI tool.
This in turn creates a self-perpetuating problem: how do you replace senior executives who retire or change jobs if there is no talent pool to choose from?
Upton added concern for parents worried about the direction their children’s education might take. “You read in the newspaper: ‘What advice should you give your child about which GCSEs to choose in the context of the future of AI?’ » We have no data to inform a rational decision on this matter.
“The answer is: wait five years, wait 10 years, and then maybe we’ll know something,” Upton added.
Asked if these problems could hurt the economy, Upton said: “Absolutely. We need a pipeline of engineers.”
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