Harsh Goenka warns of an AI threat to children that could be far bigger than job loss and it could shape their emotions, relationships and minds

Amid the AI boom and rising use of AI by children, businessman Harsh Goenka shared his concerns over how AI could influence children’s emotions and relationships and become a bigger threat than job cuts.

"72% of teens have used AI companions; 52% use them regularly & 31% find them as satisfying as real friends. Yuval Harari asks: would you let a company sell your 10-year-old an AI “boyfriend”?
The biggest AI threat, more than job loss, may be algorithms shaping our children’s emotions, relationships and minds," said Harsh Goenka in a post on X.

AI impacts education

A recent study had showed that the world’s 15-year-olds are recording their weakest performance in reading, mathematics and science since global testing began 25 years ago. According to the OECD’s PISA 2025 results, the latest assessment covered more than 760,000 students representing around 33 million 15-year-olds across 91 countries and economies.

Average scores across OECD countries fell to their lowest recorded levels in all three core subjects. Reading saw the sharpest decline, with average scores dropping 28 points between 2015 and 2025, including a 25-point fall between 2018 and 2025 alone.

Since 20 points is roughly equivalent to one year of schooling for a 15-year-old, the report suggests students are now reading at levels previously associated with children about a year younger.

Mathematics scores fell 22 points over the decade, with the decline becoming particularly sharp after 2018. Science performance was comparatively resilient, falling seven points between 2015 and 2025 and remaining broadly stable between 2022 and 2025.

Non-OECD countries and economies also recorded declines, with average reading scores falling 16 points and mathematics scores dropping eight points between 2015 and 2025.

Across OECD countries, one in five 15-year-olds now performs below the basic proficiency level in all three subjects, up from 16% in 2022. The report said these students lack the foundational skills needed for further education, employment and everyday life.

These students may struggle to interpret simple data, identify evidence in a graph, understand straightforward texts or work out basic relationships between units and prices.

The decline is not limited to students in conflict zones or countries with weak education infrastructure. The report noted that low-performing students are also found in high- and middle-income OECD countries, despite having completed around nine or 10 years of formal schooling.