Joseph Gordon-Levitt Appointed UN Advocate for Human-Centric Digital Governance, Addresses AI Impact

Joseph Gordon-Levitt has been appointed as the United Nations' global advocate for human-centric digital governance, a voluntary and public-facing role created by the U.N.'s Internet Governance Forum. In a recent interview with The New York Times, Gordon-Levitt addressed the growing impact of artificial intelligence and its potential dangers. He advised that people should not solely listen to actors but should instead consult experts and read works on AI alignment, safety, and policy, citing "Human Compatible" by Stuart Russell and the research of Yoshua Bengio as resources. Gordon-Levitt expressed concern that rapidly advancing businesses might shape the future solely for their own profit interests, potentially leading to public confusion or apathy. He also drew a parallel between the communication involved in acting and filmmaking and the communication necessary to address AI's societal impact. Gordon-Levitt indicated a reluctance to simplify complex AI concerns into sound bites of fear.