University of Kentucky grants humanist AI exemption

David Durman, a research administrator at the University of Kentucky, has been granted a religious accommodation that exempts him from using artificial intelligence in his professional workflow. Durman, a humanist, argued that being required to use tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, or Microsoft Teams Copilot to offload thinking and decision-making would violate his core beliefs.

Durman stated that the process of thinking through situations and ethics is essential to his development as a moral person, and that offloading this labor would undercut his ability to act as a moral actor. Supported by the American Humanist Association, he sought accommodation under Title VII, a federal law allowing employees to request changes to work requirements to comply with religious beliefs.

The American Humanist Association noted that this is believed to be the first case where a humanist has been granted an AI exemption based on freedom of conscience.