Humanist Gets Workplace Exemption From AI Use

David Durman, a University of Kentucky administrator and nontheistic Humanist, has secured an accommodation allowing him to abstain from using artificial intelligence at work. He is the first Humanist to obtain such workplace accommodation, according to the American Humanist Association (AHA), and one of the first people to publicly discuss seeking it.

Durman told TechCrunch that he believes using AI conflicts with his convictions. He said that relying on AI could diminish people’s active use of their minds and harm their ability to act morally. In a statement published by the AHA, he also cited concerns about AI’s effects on jobs, the environment, and human creativity.

Alexandria Huiskens, an AHA staff attorney, told TechCrunch that concerns about human dignity and AI can arise across faiths and traditions, including Humanism, and that nontheists may also be protected by workplace law. The AHA is a nonprofit that advances secular Humanism.

University of Kentucky spokesperson Jay Blanton said the university considers religious accommodation requests individually, based on job duties and the circumstances. He said the university determined Durman could receive an accommodation while continuing to perform his essential job functions, and that it may review accommodations as technology and responsibilities change.

Durman supports researchers applying for grants and has not been required to use AI in his role. He sought the accommodation after colleagues and leaders recommended trying AI tools, in case their use becomes mandatory later. He said he hoped others with similar concerns would pursue a resolution that suits them.