Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt Warns AI Could Erode Human Empathy

JAKARTA — Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt has warned that the development of artificial intelligence (AI) could hijack human intimacy. The actor, who also serves as a United Nations global advocate for human-centred digital governance, said AI development could destroy humanity.

He said the technology’s effects on democratic decline, diminishing human empathy and the potential dominance of technology companies over the economy were even more worrying. “I’m not only afraid that AI could wipe out all of humanity; what concerns me more is AI’s potential to trigger democratic backsliding and the fading of human empathy,” Gordon-Levitt said, according to Variety over the weekend.

The actor, known for the film 500 Days of Summer, said people should think critically about those developing AI and their aims. He also condemned AI companies seeking to gain control of the global economy.

“That would be a form of totalitarianism, and it would be very bad. At the same time, AI models are trained to hijack intimacy, befriend you and make you fall in love with them. We shouldn’t be afraid of AI. We should be wary of the people building it,” he said.

Gordon-Levitt was appointed to a newly created position at the United Nations in March 2026. The UN said the role was established to strengthen public understanding of how digital technology affects people’s daily lives, rights and opportunities.

The actor and director has long spoken out on AI issues. In January, he joined more than 700 artists, including Scarlett Johansson and Cate Blanchett, in supporting an anti-AI campaign that criticised technology companies for exploiting copyrighted work without permission.