Erin Maus, a 34-year-old IT engineer, has received an exemption from her company’s policy that mandates the use of artificial intelligence among developers. As a practitioner of Unitarian Universalism, a progressive religious community that emphasizes ethical living, Maus sought to uphold her principles. After consulting with a lawyer and her local pastor, she approached her employer with a request to opt out of AI usage. The company complied, as U.S. federal laws stipulate that such requests should be honored if they do not disrupt workplace operations. So far, Maus has managed to perform her duties effectively, manually writing and reviewing code, and asserts that the time she invests is comparable to that of her peers who utilize AI tools. Labor law specialists anticipate that this case may pave the way for others to similarly decline AI use on religious grounds.
Informational material. 18+.
