Unitarian Universalist Employee Secures Religious Exemption from Using AI at Work Following Pope’s Remarks

Erin Maus, a Unitarian Universalist software engineer, recently secured a religious exemption from using artificial intelligence at her job, citing ethical and environmental concerns. Her request, made in April, was granted in mid-May by her employer, a large tech-entertainment company based in North Carolina. Maus, who described her workplace as progressive, said she consulted an employment lawyer and her local Unitarian Universalist minister to support her case.

Maus’ exemption comes amid growing employer mandates requiring AI usage, which has also drawn attention from Pope Leo XIV. In a more than 42,000-word encyclical, the pope warned that AI could undermine human dignity and displace workers if left unchecked. Some have interpreted his remarks as a basis for religious objections to AI in the workplace, a stance that holds legal weight under federal law requiring employers to consider faith-based requests.

Corey Quinn, a software-startup founder in San Francisco, noted that the pope’s encyclical could lead to a surge in employees seeking faith-based exemptions from AI use. “The funniest possible outcome of the AI mandate era is about to be HR departments discovering that ‘sincerely held religious belief’ under Title VII has a much lower bar than they assumed,” Quinn wrote on X.

The Unitarian Universalist Association, which emphasizes ethical understanding of humanity in technological advancements, is currently developing a policy on AI use and a theological statement on the topic. Suzanne Morse, a spokeswoman for the association, acknowledged the ongoing discussions within the group about the ethical implications of AI.

As religious groups grapple with AI’s ethical dimensions, employment lawyers foresee a potential workplace challenge. While discussions about faith-based objections to AI were already underway before Pope Leo’s encyclical, his intervention may accelerate such efforts. The intersection of faith and technology continues to shape both workplace policies and broader societal conversations.

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