Man Who Identifies as a ‘Humanist’ Gets Religious Exemption From Using AI at Work

If your boss asks why you haven’t integrated artificial intelligence tools into your workflow yet, tell them it’s because your faith forbids you from doing so. According to a report from the Religion News Service, a research administrator at the University of Kentucky successfully received a religious exemption from his employer, excusing him from any expectations to use AI for his work. The man, 45-year-old David Durman, identifies as a humanist and told Religion News Service that he felt being asked to use AI tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, as the University of Kentucky reportedly encouraged its employees to utilize, undermined his belief in the importance of the human parts of life and ran counter to his desire to see human flourishing. So, he turned to the American Humanist Association, which helped him draft a request for a religious accommodation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, a federal law that requires employers to adjust work requirements for employees who have sincerely held religious beliefs that conflict with their job duties. Because federal courts have found secular humanism to be a religion, its members, including Durman, are eligible for the same protections as other faith groups and, in turn, can request accommodations. “The process and work involved in thinking through situations, through my work, through my ethics, through the way I handle other people, is a key component in being able to develop myself as a moral person,” Durman told Religion News Service. “And offloading that labor, regardless of whether it’s taxing or not, is undercutting my ability to be a moral actor.” In the letter he submitted to the University of Kentucky’s Office of Equal Opportunity as part of the accommodation request, Durman stated, “Substituting automated machine processing for human presence, authentic listening, and personal responsibility in my work directly conflicts with my obligation to uphold human dignity and flourishing as primary.” The University of Kentucky, to its credit, granted Durman the accommodation, excusing him from any requirement to use AI for his personal tasks—though he may still be required to attend meetings and cooperate with other employees who do choose to use AI for their work. Durman is believed to be the first humanist to get an exemption from using AI, but not the first person of faith to do so. Earlier this year, Unitarian Universalist Erin Maus received an exemption from using AI for her software engineering job on the basis of her religious beliefs. And to think, neither she nor Durman are Catholics citing Pope Leo’s pro-human encyclical as their reason for refusing AI. Human Resources offices might want to start preparing for the AI opt-out.