THE CRUNCH
David Durman, a research administrator at the University of Kentucky, has been granted a Title VII religious accommodation excusing him from using AI at work, in what the American Humanist Association describes as the first case of its kind. Durman, a humanist, argued that being asked to use tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot would amount to outsourcing his thinking, which he considers central to his moral life. "Offloading that labor, regardless of whether it's taxing or not, is undercutting my ability to be a moral actor," he told Religion News Service.
Humanism is often a non-religious worldview, but federal courts have ruled that it qualifies as a religion, a status relevant to the claim proceeding under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the law that prohibits employment discrimination on religious grounds. The American Humanist Association assisted with the request. "This is the first of its kind at the AHA and for humanism generally," staff attorney Alexandria Huiskens told RNS.
The accommodation is narrower than a blanket ban on AI in Durman's workplace. Anyone can request a Title VII exemption, but it is granted only where the applicant shows a deep moral conviction amounting to an article of faith, and only if it does not place an undue hardship on the employer. Durman is still expected to attend meetings, cooperate with colleagues who use AI and submit materials to AI tools as needed.
The case lands amid ongoing uncertainty about AI at work: roughly half of US employees now use AI in some form, even as many executives remain unsure about its return on investment. Durman says he hopes his story helps others who would rather not be forced to use the technology.