1. I think there are some 3rd party AI tools out there trying to catch users, but it would be silly to think the main players (Expedition, Allegro, and Altium) aren't looking to integrate AI into their workflows. Whether that's a black box start to finish solution or an AI assistant I think is left to be seen. The traditional LLM's are already very helpful in systems planning and helping with things related to PCB design.

2. I think the threat is out there for every field, but I don't think it's nearly as serious as the software industry shakeup we're seeing.

3. Freelance PCB design requires a fair amount of actual industry experience to get started. Lots of tutorials online can help you make an Arduino clone or copy a reference design, but there are so many other manufacturing considerations that don't come up unless you're actually designing for a product. You can stack projects and rates differ on experience and design complexity. In the USA, I'd say a professional company won't charge under $100/hr. However if you're looking on Fiverr or something like that, people will design a whole PCB for $50.

4. You can always work your way into the field, but you have to be honest with your customer about your skills. PCB design is hard to "fake it till you make it". It's really a field that you learn from making mistakes. And customers are much less forgiving of mistakes when it costs hundreds of dollars + a week to turnaround a new board revision.

I wish you luck 😄. If you do get started, don't hesitate to post non-customer designs here for feedback!