Religious exemptions
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Kentucky man becomes the first humanist granted religious exemption from AI
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5 min read
The University of Kentucky granted research administrator David Durman a religious accommodation in September allowing him to avoid personally using AI to complete his work. Durman, 45, requested the exemption with assistance from the American Humanist Association after the university began asking employees to incorporate AI tools such as Microsoft Teams Copilot, Claude and ChatGPT into their workflows. He said delegating thinking to AI conflicts with his humanist commitment to moral agency, human presence and human flourishing. The accommodation was granted under Title VII, the federal employment law requiring employers to accommodate sincerely held religious beliefs unless doing so creates an undue hardship. Durman helps university researchers prepare grant applications and said he can perform his duties without AI or effects on colleagues. A Sept. 25 letter from the university’s Office of Equal Opportunity said he may still need to attend meetings or submit materials through systems involving AI, but is excused from using AI himself for his tasks. The American Humanist Association said it believes the case is the first AI-use religious exemption granted to a humanist. Federal courts have recognized humanism as qualifying for religious protections, according to AHA staff attorney Alexandria Huiskens. Durman’s request followed an AI exemption awarded to Unitarian Universalist software engineer Erin Maus.