Whittney Barth (Emory University — Center for the Study of Law and Religion) has posted Assessing New Frontiers: When Religion and Conscience Meet AI at Work on SSRN. Here is the abstract:
Artificial intelligence presents pressing legal, moral, theological, and ethical questions for the workplace and beyond. Scholars have documented instances of algorithmic discrimination based on protected classes, including religion and several established—and some new—religious groups have issued theological position statements addressing the advent and trajectory of AI. Yet there has been little scholarly exploration of what protections may exist for employees who interact with AI in ways that implicate religion or conscience. What recourse does a religious employee have if they experience algorithmic discrimination? And what happens when an employee, informed by religion or conscience, acts in a way that conflicts with an employer’s expectation for the use of AI in the workplace? This Article explores these issues by assessing potential claims under existing laws that protect employees from religious discrimination, provide for religious accommodation, and shield (to some extent) employees from reprisal because of their speech and expression. Recognizing potential shortcomings in existing protections, this Article concludes by proposing conscience-based protections for tech workers developing AI, modeled on existing protections within the healthcare context.
Very interesting. Recommended.
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