Pope Leo Non-theistic humanist David Derman recently secured a religious exemption for the use of AI in the workplace.
“Humanism is a collection of beliefs about the human experience and how humans interact with the world,” Durman, the University of Kentucky administrator, told TechCrunch. It “focuses on human well-being and flourishing, both individually and collectively (…), and encourages people to strive to improve both their own well-being and the well-being and flourishing of those around them.”
Seeing AI becoming increasingly pervasive in daily life, Derman consulted the American Humanist Association (AHA), a nonprofit organization that promotes secular humanism, to investigate how he could obtain legal protection against having to use AI in his work. He believes that the use of this technology goes against his beliefs.
“The way we become moral agents for ourselves and others is by actively using our minds, and any reduction in that[through the use of AI]will inevitably have a negative impact on our ability to do so,” he said, reflecting on how over-reliance on AI impacts critical thinking.
In a statement released by the AHA earlier this week, Derman wrote, “AI is interfering with people’s ability to earn a living, the environmental costs are a disaster for humanity and the planet, and AI’s substitution and theft of human creativity threatens the elements of our culture, such as art and literature, that make our societies thrive.”
Humanism is not anti-religious, but it tends to appeal to people who are skeptical of God or other supernatural forces, but who want a scientific and moral framework to anchor themselves in.
“Concerns about AI and human dignity can run through several different faiths and traditions, whether it’s Catholic teaching, universalism, or humanism. We want humanists and atheists to know that they fall into these categories, and that they, too, are protected by workplace laws,” AHA Chief Counsel Alexandria Hauskens told TechCrunch.
Derman was the first humanist to ensure a workplace environment that allowed for refraining from the use of AI, and one of the first to publicly discuss pursuing these protections. He was inspired to seek them out after reading that Unitarian universalist and software engineer Erin Maus was able to secure similar protections for herself.
“For me, this was about myself and my beliefs,” Derman said. “Of course, I’m not trying to tell people how to think or feel… but I hope this article will encourage people with similar concerns to pursue their concerns to the fullest extent they see fit, without necessarily seeking religious exemptions.”
University of Kentucky spokesperson Jay Blanton told TechCrunch that the university considers requests for religious accommodations on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the employee’s job responsibilities and the circumstances of the request.
“In this case, the university determined that it could provide an accommodation while allowing the employee to continue to perform the essential functions of his or her job,” Professor Brunton said in a statement. “As technology and job responsibilities evolve, accommodations may be reviewed to ensure they are reasonable and practicable.”
The mouse situation is particularly unusual because it’s becoming rare for software engineers to write code without the assistance of AI. But in his administrative role supporting researchers applying for grants, Derman didn’t need to use AI in his work. Like many workers in a variety of sectors, some of his colleagues and leaders are encouraging their employees to try these tools, so he sought to secure an exemption now in case the proposal becomes mandatory in the future.
“I hope (others) feel encouraged to pursue some solutions if they feel the same way,” Derman said.
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