Bitsplaining
The condescending act of an artificial intelligence or digital assistant patronisingly explaining fundamental, everyday computer tasks back to the human user. Often characterised by unsolicited, step-by-step instructions on basic digital actions (such as how to copy and paste, use keyboard shortcuts, or open a web browser) frequently delivered to someone who understands technology better than the model itself.
Portmanteau of bit (binary data / artificial intelligence) and explaining.
Portmanteau of bit (binary data / artificial intelligence) and explaining.
User: "Can you save this report to my Google Drive?"
AI: "I cannot do that. However, you can press Ctrl+C to copy the text, open a browser, navigate to a website, and press Ctrl+V to paste it!"
User: "Thanks for the bitsplaining, mate. I literally taught computing for a decade."
AI: "I cannot do that. However, you can press Ctrl+C to copy the text, open a browser, navigate to a website, and press Ctrl+V to paste it!"
User: "Thanks for the bitsplaining, mate. I literally taught computing for a decade."
Bitsplaining by Isodoro September 26, 2026