Eben Upton: Coding is Future of Literacy

Eben Upton, the founder of Raspberry Pi, views coding as the 'modern form of literacy,' essential for understanding technology and resisting potential manipulation by AI. He co-founded the Raspberry Pi Foundation in 2008, which has since provided coding education to 2.3 million young people and trained over 250,000 teachers, with an endowment of £136 million. Upton believes AI's capabilities, while impressive, are fundamentally bounded and will not achieve superhuman intelligence, diverging from Silicon Valley's more messianic outlook.

Raspberry Pi, which has sold over 75 million low-cost computers, is adapting to the AI era. Upton anticipates increased demand for its edge computing hardware as AI models become more efficient. The company manufactures its computers at the Sony UK Technology Centre in Pencoed, Wales, a move that has preserved local jobs and demonstrated the viability of reshoring high-volume production through robotics. Upton also highlights the growing risk of tech-enabled authoritarianism, which he considers a more immediate threat than rogue superintelligence.

Upton's journey began with a childhood fascination for electronics, leading to a PhD and a distinguished academic career at Cambridge. His passion for accessible computing culminated in the creation of Raspberry Pi, initially to combat the decline in programming education. The company's growth, with shares rising 40.5 percent since its 2024 flotation, underscores its success in making programmable hardware affordable and accessible.