Employees Are Seeking Religious Exemptions to Avoid Using AI. Here’s Why Every CEO Should Pay Attention

Courts take religious faith seriously. You should too.

EXPERT OPINION BY MINDA ZETLIN, AUTHOR OF 'CAREER SELF-CARE: FIND YOUR HAPPINESS, SUCCESS, AND FULFILLMENT AT WORK' @MINDAZETLIN

A person holds in his hands the Encyclical Letter “Magnifica Humanitas” focused on the rise of artificial intelligence, on the day of its promulgation by Pope Leo XIV, in The Vatican on May 25, 2026. Photo: Getty Images

What should you do if an employee seeks exemption from using AI, saying it conflicts with their religious beliefs? If you’re a business leader and you don’t have an answer to this question, you should start thinking about it. This scenario may sound far-fetched, but it isn’t. A software engineer named Erin Maus, who is a Unitarian Universalist, recently got such an exemption from her employer. She explained that ethical questions around AI use and environmental damage caused by AI data centers........

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