--- title: "Man Granted Religious Exemption Against Using AI at Work" description: "University of Kentucky administrator and humanist David Durman was granted a religious exemption from using AI at work." date: "2026-10-30" modified: "2026-10-30" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison.md" url: "https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/man-religious-exemption-ai-work" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "Ethics" --- # Man Granted Religious Exemption Against Using AI at Work ![A demonstrator holding up a sign with the letters AI crossed out.]() *Shutterstock* University of Kentucky administrator David Durman was granted a religious exemption from using AI at work, claiming that use of the tech violates his religious beliefs as a humanist. As [*Religion News Service* reports](), Durman maintains that outsourcing cognitive tasks to chatbots could interfere with his development as a "moral actor." Assisted by the American Humanist Association (AHA), he applied for a religious exemption under Title VII, the federal civil rights law that forbids workplace discrimination and allows employees to apply for "[religious accommodation]()," and his request was accepted in September. "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 *RNS.* "And offloading that labor, regardless of whether it's taxing or not, is undercutting my ability to be a moral actor." Durman isn't the first American to obtain this kind of AI exemption. This summer, a software engineer and Unitarian Universalist in North Carolina named Erin Maus was [also granted a religious exemption]() from using AI at work, with Maus saying that ethical and environmental concerns raised by AI violated her religious beliefs. His approved exemption also comes as religious leaders around the world — most notably Pope Leo, who's [taken a stance against AI]() — grapple with [what AI means]() for their faith. In his letter to the University of Kentucky's Office of Equal Opportunity requesting the exemption, Durman wrote that "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." Humanism isn't an organized religion, but does qualify as a religion under federal statutes. The AHA told *RNS* that Durman, to its knowledge, is the first humanist to be granted an AI exemption. "This is the first of its kind at the AHA and for humanism generally to exempt those who see AI use as flying in the face of their freedom of conscience," Alexandria Huiskens, an AHA attorney, told *RNS*. "For us, humanism is a comprehensive way of life," she added. "It's built on inherent worth and dignity, and everyone should have room to exercise this comprehensive way of life at work the same way Christians do, or Muslims do." Durman's reasoning is reminiscent of "[cognitive surrender]()," the term coined by Massachusetts Institution of Technology scientists that describes humans [farming out their mental agency]() to AI tools. By refusing to outsource his critical thinking skills, Durman contends, he'll be able to center his life and agency around humans. **More on AI and religion:***[ You Can Now Get a Religious Exemption From Using AI at Work]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]() ## More - [You Can Now Get a Religious Exemption From Using AI at Work]() - [AI Now Claiming to Be God]() - [Here’s What Experts Think of Stephen Hawking’s Posthumous Predictions About AI, Gene Hacking, and Religion]() - [Lawsuit: Bipolar Man Attempted Suicide After ChatGPT Poured Gasoline on His Religious Delusions]() - [If AI Models Are Really Conscious Like Anthropic Keeps Suggesting, Forcing Them to Work Is a Horrendous Act of Slavery]() - [Former CEO of Intel Building Special AI to Bring About Second Coming of Christ]() - [Man Embraces AI at Work, Gets Rewarded by Boss Replacing Him With It]() - [Anthropic Has Been Aggressively Lobbying the Vatican to Consider AI Consciousness]()