Raspberry Pi founder warns AI hype could worsen tech skill shortages and hurt the economy

Raspberry Pi Founder Sounds Alarm on AI's Impact on Tech Careers

Eben Upton, the Raspberry Pi founder who built a company around making computing accessible to young people, has issued a stark warning about how AI hype could put people off tech jobs and create long-long-term economic damage 1

1

. Speaking on the BBC's Big Boss Interview podcast, Upton argued that overestimating AI's capabilities could "distort people's choices in ways that make that skill shortage worse and not better" 1

1

. His concern centers on a troubling paradox: as AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude gain prominence, they're simultaneously being blamed for mass layoffs while potentially deterring the next generation from entering the tech industry altogether.

The timing of Upton's warning carries particular weight. Tech layoffs have surpassed 100,000 in 2025 so far, with many companies attributing cuts to their adoption of AI technologies 2

2

. Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft have already blamed tens of thousands of layoffs on AI over the last year 1

1

. However, some experts suggest the technology is being used as a scapegoat for reducing headcount after a post-Covid hiring spree by many big corporates 1

1

.

The Self-Feeding Crisis in Computing Roles

What makes this situation particularly concerning is the self-perpetuating nature of the problem Upton identifies. Entry-level computing roles that would have traditionally served as training grounds for future senior engineers are increasingly being eliminated or automated. Work that a decade ago would have been done by an entry-level employee is now handed off to an AI tool instead . This creates a critical gap: how do you replace senior staff members who retire or move jobs if there isn't an insufficient pool of engineers to draw from 2

2

?

Upton founded Raspberry Pi in 2012 specifically because he was concerned young people were no longer gaining computing skills, as mobile phones and games consoles replaced devices they could easily programme 1

1

. Now, he worries that overestimating chatbots' ability to replace people could "undo a lot of the good work that's been done, not just by Raspberry Pi, but by a lot of other organisations" in encouraging people into tech careers 1

1

.

Educational Choices in an Uncertain AI Future

The uncertainty extends to educational choices, where parents and students face decisions with limited reliable data. "You read in the paper: 'What guidance should you give your child about what GCSEs to choose in the context of an AI future?' We have no data to inform a rational decision on that," Upton explained 1

1

. His advice is pragmatic: "The answer is: wait five years, wait 10 years, and then maybe we might know something" 1

1

. This hesitation reflects a broader challenge facing the tech industry—balancing enthusiasm for genuinely powerful tools against the risk of overhyping their immediate capabilities.

Economic Implications and UK Business Challenges

When asked directly if the phenomenon could hurt the economy, Upton's response was unequivocal: "Absolutely. We need a supply of engineers" 1

1

2

2

. The warning comes as Raspberry Pi has become a rare UK success story, floating on the London Stock Exchange in 2024 amid a wave of other firms choosing US listings instead 1

1

. While Upton noted the UK has "enormous" industrial capacity, he identified high energy costs as a significant challenge for UK businesses 1

1

. Britain has had among the highest energy costs of the G7 nations in recent years, which has proved damaging for businesses 1

1

. "About the only reason I wouldn't do engineering build objects in the UK is the high cost of energy, and we need to do something about that," Upton said 1

1

.