17 March 2026 - The United Nations today announced the appointment of Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the UN’s first Global Advocate for Human-centric Digital Governance, a newly established role designed to strengthen public understanding of how digital technologies shape everyday life, rights and opportunities.
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.
“Digital technologies are transforming how societies function, how economies develop and how people engage with one another, often faster than our collective ability to respond,” said UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Li Junhua. “The Global Advocate for Human-centric Digital Governance will help connect global digital policy discussions with everyday experience, while highlighting the importance of people and accountability in advancing inclusive, sustainable development in the digital age.”
In his new capacity, Mr. 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.
"Conversations about digital technology can often be pretty money-centric, especially with the unprecedentedly huge sums of capital swirling around the nascent AI industry right now,” said Mr. Gordon-Levitt. “So it's been an inspiring breath of fresh air getting to know this international community of the UN's Internet Governance Forum. Because I truly believe this tech can do so much good for the world, but we need to complement profit incentives with human-centric incentives, and that's what the UN's Global Goals are all about."
Mr. 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 artificial intelligence. Most recently, he addressed the UN General Assembly in New York at its twenty-year review of the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+20) and encouraged member states to take a more proactive approach to digital governance.
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.
A particular emphasis of the Global Advocate will be connecting global digital policy discussions with local and regional perspectives, including through the IGF’s network of National, Regional, Subregional and Youth IGF Initiatives. This engagement aims to amplify voices from diverse communities, especially in developing countries, where digital transformation is advancing rapidly but unevenly.
Across his work as an actor, filmmaker and creative entrepreneur, Mr. 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. His engagement has focused on issues ranging from online safety and access to opportunity, to the protection of creators and the future of work in data-driven environments.
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.
About the Internet Governance Forum (IGF)
The Internet Governance Forum (IGF), convened by the United Nations Secretary-General, is the global multistakeholder platform for dialogue on digital public policy. The IGF brings together governments, the private sector, civil society, the technical community and international and intergovernmental organizations to exchange information, share best practices and foster cooperation on key digital governance trends and challenges.
Meet the Global Advocate: https://www.un.org/en/isotope-articles/9183