Opting out of AI as a matter of conscience at university

David Durman, an administrator at the University of Kentucky, has received an exemption from personally using AI on humanist grounds. German publication t3n reported the case on October 29, 2026. [1]

Durman told Religion News Service that outsourcing this work is “undercutting my ability to be a moral actor.” [2]

According to the original RNS report, the American Humanist Association supported his request. The university granted the accommodation in September. It excuses his own AI use, while he may still be expected to attend meetings or cooperate with colleagues using AI. The assessment that this is the first such case for a humanist comes from the association. [2]

The case can be read as an indication that workplace AI is becoming a matter of conscience: institutional expectations to adopt it may require people to explicitly justify their wish to think and exercise judgment themselves.