UN appoints Joseph Gordon-Levitt as ‘humancentric’ AI Global Advocate

• The United Nations appointed actor, filmmaker and creative entrepreneur Joseph Gordon-Levitt as its first Global Advocate for Human-centric Digital Governance.

• It is a newly created role aimed at making complex digital policy discussions more accessible and relevant to people worldwide.

• Gordon-Levitt is known for his notable roles in films such as ‘Inception’, ‘500 Days of Summer’, ‘Looper’, and ‘Dark Knight Rises’. He also wrote and directed ‘Don Jon’.

• Gordon-Levitt has demonstrated a sustained interest in the societal implications of digital technologies, including the impact of online platforms, artificial intelligence and algorithmic systems on creativity, expression and human agency. 

• He has always been passionate about the intersection of media and technology, co-founding the two-time Emmy-winning online community for creative collaboration, HITRECORD. 

What is the role of Global Advocate?

• Designated by the UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF), serviced by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), the role of the Global Advocate reflects the United Nations’ commitment to ensuring that rapid digital transformation remains firmly anchored in inclusion and the public interest, as global debates intensify around artificial intelligence, digital platforms and online information ecosystems.

• In his new capacity, Gordon-Levitt will collaborate with the IGF to help advance a vision of digital governance that is equitable, innovative, responsible and human-centred. 

• He will build on his work with the Forum by supporting efforts to connect complex digital policy discussions with broader societal conversations and lived experience.

• Gordon-Levitt has contributed to the IGF since his participation in the Forum’s June 2025 gathering in Norway, where he brought a rare film industry perspective that underscored issues of creative compensation and automation in the age of AI.

• The role of the Global Advocate is conceived as a public-facing complement to the United Nations’ digital governance processes, including the newly permanent mandate of the Internet Governance Forum, the World Summit on the Information Society, and the Global Digital Compact. 

• By translating complex policy debates into accessible narratives, the Global Advocate seeks to ensure that the human impact of technology is never overlooked.

• The appointment reinforces the United Nations’ broader efforts to promote a digital future that is rights-respecting, accountable and responsive to human needs, at a time when technological change is redefining fundamental aspects of social, economic and cultural life.