BATMAN’S BUTLER

Dr. Ace Hulus says stop treating Artificial Intelligence as the villain - if you want to be an L&D hero, then the best toy in your utility belt is an AI Alfred.

Bruce Wayne is in his study at Wayne Manor, intensely focused on a crucial speech for the Wayne Foundation’s education program. The words aren’t flowing. His speech feels disorganised, and his confidence seems diminished; even his alter ego, Batman, could not save him. From the shadows steps Alfred, not with tea and sympathy, but with precise suggestions: “Perhaps restructure this paragraph, Master Wayne. Your central thesis appears in sentence four but might serve better as your opening.” Alfred doesn’t write the speech, but he sharpens every word until Bruce’s vision becomes crystal clear.

Today, this imaginative example has become a reality. Classrooms across the globe, where Artificial Intelligence (AI) writing assistants (proof-reading tools) have become education’s digital Alfred. These proofreading tools are sophisticated, supportive, and raise profound questions about authorship, learning, and the future of academic integrity.

The Butler’s Evolution: From Grammarly to GPT

Just as Alfred evolved from butler to hightech support system, AI proofreading tools have undergone their own transformation. Early grammar checkers were glorified spellcheckers and punctuation-checkers. Modern tools can understand context, propose structural enhancements, and adjust to various writing styles, encompassing everything from academic papers to imaginative stories.

According to Marketing Maverick (2024), tools such as Grammarly now have over 30 Million daily users. While tools like ProWritingAid examine every aspect, including sentence flow and readability ratings. Moreover, ChatGPT is capable of rewriting whole paragraphs while preserving the original author’s style. Far from being simple error correctors, these tools are sophisticated writing partners that are somewhat unnerving.

Nevertheless, the Batman analogy proves to be key: the finest AI writing programs, akin to Alfred, augment rather than eliminate human ability. These are meant to refine the abilities of proficient writers, rather than do all the writing.

Master Wayne’s Dilemma: Enhancement vs Dependency

The dynamic between Batman and Alfred brings up an important query: where does support cross the line into dependence? Hiring ghost writers could be an option for Bruce Wayne, though it would sacrifice his authenticity. He could ignore Alfred entirely, but that would waste valuable intelligence. The sweet spot lies in partnership, as in Alfred’s insights serving Bruce’s vision.

Educational institutions face the same dilemma. Rosa Saeedi (2025) from the High School Insider reports that AI tools could potentially make students more engaged, more focused, and assist with their writing. However, it’s up to the students to utilise this technology effectively, not to substitute it for actual learning; the problem isn’t that AI tools make students lazy, but rather that they’re being misused.

Building on the previous points and in agreement with Rosa Saeedi (2025), Yoshija Walter (2024) argues for the integration of “AI literacy” into education, alongside traditional writing lessons. Students learn how to craft effective AI prompts, analyse AI responses critically, and maintain their individual writing styles when using AI. It’s Alfred-based training for the next generation.

Yet, dependency remains a real risk. Some students submit papers entirely generated by AI, and while well-written, they lack the human imperfections that make writing engaging. They’ve mistaken Alfred for Batman, forgetting that the human must remain in charge.

The Batcave Classroom: Where Technology Meets Pedagogy

The most effective EdTech deployments share the same design principles as the Batcave: advanced technology supporting human objectives. By using AI writing analysis, Jinhee Kim (2025) can find students who are grappling with academic writing rules. The technology does not assess the papers but identifies patterns that might show a student needs help.

Jinhee Kim (2025) notes that AI tools are particularly good at identifying problems in structure, redundancies, and inconsistencies. Yet, they are unable to determine a student’s comprehension of the source material or if they have produced original thoughts while writing. That’s still, at its core, something humans handle. It demonstrates a change in perspective, moving from AI being perceived as a threat to AI being utilised as a diagnostic instrument.

Like Batman utilises the Batcomputer for crime analysis, teachers can use AI to pinpoint learning deficiencies, monitor writing progress, and tailor feedback on a large scale.

When Alfred Goes Rogue: The Authenticity Crisis

What is the impact when Alfred’s advice completely changes the message Batman is trying to convey? AI writing tools can enhance technical aspects but potentially sacrifice the writer’s unique style. An argument from a student, full of passion but lacking polish, may end up as a lifeless essay, like something you’d see in a corporate document.

The crisis of authenticity undermines the core of how we evaluate education. When AI can write flawless essays on any subject, what exactly are we assessing? Is it the student’s ideas, their skill in prompting AI, or something different?

Several institutions have started using “AI detectors,” digital technologies that try to detect computer-generated writing. Yet, this method resembles Gotham’s past failures in trying to catch Batman with technology as the sole approach. The key is to change how we define value and what we measure.

The Commissioner Gordon Problem: Policy and Institutional Change

Commissioner Gordon represents institutional authority grappling with new realities. He can’t stop Batman from operating, so he finds ways to work with him constructively. Educational institutions face similar choices with AI writing tools.

The recent guidelines from Oxford University reflect this understanding: they mandate that students disclose any AI help and describe its usage, instead of imposing outright bans. This transparent AI model views AI tools as helpful research aids if users acknowledge them, but as a problem if users conceal them. Therefore, students learn not only what plagiarism is, but also how to work together with AI in an ethical way. This is a more nuanced method compared to the old-fashioned “just say no” approach to AI.

Training the Next Generation of Robins: AI Literacy

Although Robin is mentored by Batman, he has to cultivate his unique skills and use his own discretion as a crime-fighter. Likewise, students need direction on building their AI literacy without sacrificing their individual writing styles. Kristen Henr (2023)’s article, “Adolescent Digital Writing: Considerations for the Classroom and Beyond,” mentions that younger writers should draft essays using traditional methods and then utilise AI tools to revise their writing. The final version will feature both drafts, along with a discussion of how AI tools influenced the writing.

With this approach, students will find that AI is very good at finding basic errors but not good at understanding subtle differences. They will learn to use it thoughtfully rather than completely depending on it. This approach understands that AI literacy goes beyond coding, including critical thinking, evaluative skills, and maintaining human autonomy within increasingly automated systems.

Gotham’s New Villains: Ethical Challenges in EdTech

Each technological advancement leads to the creation of novel types of misconduct. While grammar checkers might produce flawless but uninspired essays, advanced AI tools facilitate more complex academic misconduct. Students are now capable of producing essays that evade plagiarism checks, even if they lack substantial original ideas.

But the more insidious villain might be the erosion of writing as thinking. If AI can immediately reshape arguments and improve writing, students could lose the important, yet challenging, experience of developing their thoughts on paper. Thus, they might lose their creative abilities.

EdTech companies have a duty in this situation. The most ethical AI writing tools are designed with constraints, prompting users to interact thoughtfully with the recommendations instead of using them without consideration. Their purpose is to educate, not just to refine.

The Wayne Foundation Approach: AI for Educational

Here’s where the Batman analogy reveals its deepest insights. Bruce Wayne’s wealth gives him access to Alfred’s assistance, whilst Gotham’s struggling citizens face crime without sophisticated support. Similarly, premium AI writing tools often remain behind paywalls, potentially exacerbating educational inequalities. Some institutions are choosing the “Wayne Foundation approach” by integrating AI tools into their core educational infrastructure, not just as premium features. Chapman University now gives every student a free premium Grammarly account, believing that everyone should have equal access to writing assistance.

This equity consideration becomes crucial as AI writing assistance becomes normalised. If middle-class students use advanced AI tools and working-class students stick to basic spellcheckers, we might worsen existing inequalities, even though technology should be helping.

The Future of the Partnership: Where We Go From Here

Batman’s relationship with Alfred evolves with each new challenge. The increasing complexity of AI writing tools necessitates a corresponding shift in educational partnerships. AI tutors are likely to emerge, offering tailored writing lessons, along with automated feedback that considers context and learning objectives, and assessment tools that evaluate human creativity as well as technical skills.

The key idea persists: Alfred is there to help Batman, not the other way around. The best AI writing tools will improve what humans can do while still letting them make their own choices. They will improve skilled writers without eliminating the critical human tasks of thought, debate, and meaningful writing.

Beyond the Batcave: Implications for EdTech Design

The relationship between Batman and Alfred serves as a guide for creating ethical AI in education. Effective AI writing tools should:

• Enhance rather than replace human capability

• Maintain transparency about their • suggestions and limitations

• Encourage active engagement rather than passive acceptance

• Support learning rather than just improving writing output

• Remain accessible regardless of economic status

In this age of rapid technological change, let’s not forget that Alfred’s most significant contribution to Batman isn’t his technical skills, but rather his steadfast dedication to Bruce Wayne’s goals. Effective AI writing tools are sophisticated enough to provide genuine aid, while also having the good sense to know when to let human judgment take over.

Ultimately, every student needs an Alfred to assist them in writing more effectively, rather than doing the writing for them. Educators and EdTech developers face the difficulty of creating systems that support this collaboration without damaging the fundamentally human aspects of learning: critical thinking, persuasive argumentation, and genuine communication.

The future of teaching writing won’t be a choice between human educators and AI programs. The purpose is to establish classrooms that utilise technology to support learning, thereby equipping students with digital proficiency and enduring communication abilities, and empowering every young writer to obtain the assistance needed to discover and express their individuality.

After all, even Batman needed Alfred and his crime analysis machine. But Gotham’s safety ultimately depended on Batman, not Alfred and the machine.

References:

Marketing Maverick (2024): https://marketingmaverick.io/p/the-marketingcase-study-of-grammarly

Rosa Saeedi (2025): https://highschool.latimes.com/opinion/opinionai-tools-arent-making-students-lazy-theyre-justbeing-used-wrong/

Yoshija Walter (2024): https://educationaltechnologyjournal springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s41239-02400448-3

Jinhee Kim (2025): https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10639024-12878-7

Oxford University: https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/academic/ guidance/skills/ai-study

Kristen Henr (2023): https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1409760.pdf

Chapman University: https://www.chapman.edu/campus-services/ information-systems/software/grammarly.aspx

Dr Asegul (Ace) Hulus is an Assistant Professor, Lecturer, Researcher and Author in Computing, and a regular contributor to Dirtyword.

Learn more about her work and connect with her here: https://www.linkedin.com /in/asegulhulus/