Employers Should Prepare for Religious Objections to Workplace AI Use
On May 25, 2026, Pope Leo XIV released his first encyclical, “ Magnifica humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence .” For employers, this type of high-profile religious guidance related to AI is likely to shape how some employees understand the moral permissibility of using AI tools at work, and may contribute to requests for accommodations from those who object to using AI on religious grounds . This is not legal theory. It is already happening. See Sarah E. Needleman, She won a religious exemption from using AI at work. The Pope’s remarks could fuel similar appeals , Business Insider (June 5, 2026). As a result, employers find themselves at the crossroads between (relatively) new legal precedent and new technology. What Changed After Groff ? For years, many courts treated undue hardship in the context of religious accommodations as anything more than a minimal cost or burden. However, in Groff v. DeJoy , 600 U.S. 447 (2023), the U.S. Supreme C...