Joseph Gordon-Levitt has explained why he attended a couple of private conferences hosted by controversial billionaire Peter Thiel, despite having never met the PayPal co-founder.
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the 500 Days of Summer star was among a list of Hollywood entertainers who have attended some of Thiel’s secret meetings for the Dialog group, which was brought to light in a leaked registration list.
With Thiel publicly exhibiting conservative views and once hesitating on whether the human race should be wiped out among advancements in artificial intelligence, some of Gordon-Levitt’s fans were concerned that he formed a political alliance with Thiel, especially since the actor has spent the past few years advocating for ethical AI practices and fair compensation for creators.
On Thursday (June 19), Gordon-Levitt took to Instagram to clarify that he doesn’t know Thiel and understands why the public is "suspicious" about their affiliation.
"I have been to two Dialog conferences. But, I do not know Peter Thiel. I’ve never met him," he explained. "I’ve never spoken with him or his representatives. I’ve never seen him at an event. From what I’ve read about his views, we are political and ideological opposites."
Gordon-Levitt added that he’s heard a "wide variety of opinions" at the Dialog events he's attended, but he's mainly been focused on "positive impact on how the future unfolds" in tech and AI.
"Part of that work means forming relationships with all kinds of people, trying to understand their perspective, and trying to get them to understand mine. Sometimes it’s productive to engage with those we oppose," he concluded.
Similarly, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian recently explained that he attended UFC Freedom 250 hosted at the White House because he was invited by TKO/IMG leadership. The entrepreneur also disapproved of fighter Josh Hokit offensively misgendering former First Lady Michelle Obama at the event.
