UNITED NATIONS, March 17 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations on Tuesday announced the appointment of Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the world body's first global advocate for human-centric digital governance, a 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 newly established role reflects the UN's 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, according to a release published on the official website of UN DESA.

"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," UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Li Junhua said in the release.

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-centered. He will build on his work with the IGF by supporting efforts to connect complex digital policy discussions with broader societal conversations and lived experience, the release said.

The role is conceived as a public-facing complement to the UN's digital governance processes, including the newly permanent mandate of the IGF, the World Summit on the Information Society, and the Global Digital Compact. The global advocate seeks to ensure that the human impact of technology is never overlooked by translating complex policy debates into accessible narratives, it said.

The appointment reinforces the UN's 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. ■