In a Washington Post op-ed, the Hollywood actor contended that while AI may not currently be able to perform our jobs, it could potentially do so in the near future. Furthermore, he argued that the individuals whose jobs are at risk from AI will be the same ones who contributed the data used to train it. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, actor and director, called for mandatory residuals to be paid to anyone, not just Hollywood professionals, whose work is utilized for training generative AI tools and applications. In his op-ed titled "If Artificial Intelligence Uses Your Work, It Should Pay You, " Gordon-Levitt emphasized the importance of ensuring that residuals from AI training data are allocated to the deserving individuals. The actor highlighted the significance of residuals for actors and screenwriters in the entertainment industry, and expressed his support for the ongoing strike by labor unions representing writers and actors. Additionally, he proposed that residual payments for AI training data should extend beyond Hollywood, as the impact of generative AI tools on jobs will affect various professions worldwide. According to the op-ed, the extraordinary outputs generated by generative AI should not enrich tech giants or any other entities without compensating the individuals responsible for the underlying data.

Gordon-Levitt anticipated that AI's potential to disrupt jobs will extend across numerous fields, such as entertainment, medicine, engineering, and any occupation involving computers. He suggested that introducing a new type of residuals for the human data producers behind AI training could provide crucial economic relief. However, implementing such a residuals program would involve substantial technological challenges, including the need for AI systems to track and determine the influence of each piece of training data and attribute it to verified individuals. The op-ed also emphasized the importance of compensating those who made past movies when AI-driven films utilize digital data obtained from previous works. The actor made a compelling argument for compensating "human data producers" in light of the increasing claims by tech and entertainment giants that AI can perform tasks equivalent to human labor at a fraction of the cost. Gordon-Levitt emphasized that the future impact of AI on careers and compensation is uncertain, but he believes that it is still possible to create a world where careers are more productive, meaningful, and equitable. However, he stressed that achieving this future will not happen automatically, as it requires collective effort and active participation.