Every Person Will Be a Programmer in the Embedded Computing Revolution

In today’s world, the term “computer” is no longer limited to large, standalone machines. A vast majority of modern electronics—from kitchen appliances to traffic lights—contain some form of embedded computer. In fact, estimates indicate that 90% of all computers on the planet are now embedded, and by 2020 the average person will have between five and ten embedded devices in their daily life.

Consider a typical household: hundreds of devices such as audio‑video gear, thermostats, remote controls, gas and electrical meters, phones, and kitchen appliances all host their own embedded processors. A modern car can contain anywhere from 30 to 100 embedded computers. When we scale up to critical infrastructure—internet, power grids, water systems, and public safety networks—the numbers grow even more dramatically.

Why has software become the preferred tool for building these complex systems? The answer lies in flexibility and cost efficiency. Hardware design is inherently slow and expensive, while software can be updated, optimized, and scaled with far less overhead. By building a general‑purpose hardware platform and customizing it with application‑specific modules, engineers can rapidly prototype and iterate—often by simply swapping or rewriting software, not hardware.

As the world edges closer to a future where billions of embedded devices coexist, the question arises: who will write the code that drives them? The inevitable answer is that programming is becoming a universal skill. Today’s “intelligence workers”—from data analysts to product managers—are already learning to program, and this trend will only accelerate. Programming will no longer be the exclusive domain of a niche technical elite; it will be a foundational competency for anyone involved in designing, maintaining, or innovating within our connected society.

In my next article, I will explore how this shift is already influencing education, career paths, and everyday life. Stay tuned.