When a student comes to the Writing Center asking for help with grammar, concision, or thesis development, a wise tutor considers this request but first surveils the lay of the land. She reads the student’s piece and peers into proverbial dark corners, searching not just for shit that could be stepped in, but also jewels hidden or haphazardly scattered on the ground. She helps the writer highlight areas that shine so that those glimmers might not accidentally be swept away.

This specifically human ability to see beyond formula, to describe both pitfalls and potential, is what makes the human tutor impervious to the advancement of artificial technology.