Raspberry Pi Founder Sounds the Alarm on AI Hype And Warns It Could Gut the Tech Talent Pipeline

Eben Upton, the founder of British computer maker Raspberry Pi, has sounded the alarm over what he sees as a growing danger lurking beneath the AI boom. He is not worried by the technology itself, but the fear it is generating about jobs that he believes could drive people away from careers in tech at exactly the wrong moment.

Upton has warned that overestimating the abilities of AI could put people off pursuing tech jobs and hurt the economy. Speaking on the BBC's Big Boss Interview podcast, Upton delivered a pointed message to those stoking alarm about mass technological unemployment.

Upton told the BBC that inflated expectations about AI could "distort people's choices in ways that make that skill shortage worse and not better." His concern is that the loudest voices in the AI debate are not being careful enough about the claims they make.

He further argues that overestimating the ability of chatbots 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.

He also warned against paralysis when it comes to advising young people on their futures. "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," he said, adding that the right answer is to "wait five years, wait 10 years, and then maybe we might know something."

When pressed on whether the hype could ultimately harm the broader economy, Upton was unequivocal. "Absolutely. We need a supply of engineers," he said.

The rise of tools such as ChatGPT and Claude has fuelled predictions of sweeping job losses, particularly among tech workers and graduates. Amazon, Meta and Microsoft have already attributed tens of thousands of layoffs to AI over the past year. But Upton urged caution about taking those narratives at face value. Some experts have suggested the technology is being used as a scapegoat for reducing headcount following a post-Covid hiring spree at many large corporations.

Upton himself is no AI sceptic. He acknowledged these are "genuinely incredible tools" but warned that enthusiasm can tip into distortion. "It's possible to get caught up in this. This is the risk of damage right in this moment of incredible enthusiasm," he said.

Upton founded Raspberry Pi in 2012 out of concern that young people were losing computing skills as mobile phones and games consoles replaced devices they could easily programme. That founding mission gives his comments added weight: if the next generation is discouraged from entering tech by AI doomsaying, it would undercut decades of work to build a pipeline of engineering talent.

Raspberry Pi floated on the London Stock Exchange in 2024, becoming a notable success story for the UK stock market at a time when other firms, including Cambridge-based chip maker Arm, chose to list in the US instead.

Upton also raised concerns about energy costs as a separate drag on UK industry, but his core message was clear: in the race to define what AI means for the workforce, hyperbole may prove more damaging than the technology itself.