Robert F. Smith Urges Firms to Preserve Internship Programs Amid AI Adoption

As artificial intelligence increasingly automates entry-level tasks, billionaire investor Robert F. Smith is urging corporate leaders to preserve internship programs.
Speaking at Fortune’s Brainstorm Tech conference in Colorado, the founder and CEO of Vista Equity Partners warned against sacrificing young talent for the sake of automation.

“Make sure you don’t destroy your intern program,” Smith said, emphasizing that cultivating new technologists is vital for sustaining innovation and optimism.

While acknowledging that AI agents will inevitably disrupt the labor market by absorbing routine tasks, Smith argued that firms must continue to onboard the next generation. He noted that while the technology will fundamentally alter job structures, the transition requires maintaining clear pathways for young professionals to reach a new economic equilibrium.

The plea is personal for Smith, whose career was launched by a persistent teenage internship at Bell Labs. Today, his technology-focused investment firm oversees roughly 90 software companies. For Smith, the AI revolution must integrate emerging talent, not replace it.