If you're using AI to generate text or images, you should acknowledge that in your citations, just like you would for a human author, artist, or photographer. If using AI is allowed on an assignment your teacher gives you, each time you include something AI-generated, you have to cite it. (Remember that you can only use AI on an assignment if your teacher specifically says so, and always double-check with your instructor if you have questions about AI usage or citations.) Several citation guides have released official or semi-official guidance on how to cite AI-generated content. You can cite AI in your work using the guidelines below!
Why do we cite?
Citations and their formatting might seem irritating, but they're an important part of providing reliable information to an audience. Writing gets its credibility from sourcing the claims it makes. Readers need to be able to fact-check a writer's sources and trace where the claims in a piece come from.
If you are using AI to help with a draft or outline, you'll want to acknowledge that with a sentence at the beginning or end of the paper that says something like, "This paper was produced with drafting support from Bing AI." Your teacher might have specific conventions for how they would like to list this as well, so it is always best practice to check in with them!
If you are citing a conversation with an AI tool, either as a source or as an object of study, explore each section below to learn how to cite AI text generators in different styles.
Building blocks
Format
"Prompt text" prompt. AI tool, version of tool, company that made the tool, date text was generated. URL.
Examples
Check out the MLA Style Guide for more information.
Building blocks
Format
Company that made the tool (date text was generated). AI tool (version of tool) [Large language model]. URL.
Examples
For more information, see APA Style Guide: How to Cite ChatGPT
In Chicago, you'll cite generative AI differently depending on whether or not you included the prompt in the text of your paper. If you included it in your paper, you don't need to repeat it in the citation.
Building blocks
Format
Prompt already included in paper:
1. Text generated by [name of the AI tool], date, Company that made the tool, URL.
Prompt not yet included in paper:
1. [Name of the AI tool], response to "prompt," date text was generated, Company that made the tool, URL.
Examples
For more information, see Chicago Manual of Style: Citation, Documentation of Content
If you're referencing or including an AI-generated image in your papers, you should include information about how it was generated. This is also required for human-created artwork and some human-created photographs. In most citation styles, you don't need to include this in the works cited, only as a caption for the image.
If you're including an AI-generated image in the body of a paper, give it a figure number (i.e. Fig. 1, Fig. 2)
Building blocks
Format
Fig. 1. "Full prompt" prompt, Name of Tool, version of tool, Company Name, date image was generated, URL.
Example
Check out the MLA Style Guide for more information
As of September 2024, APA has not issued specific guidance on how to cite AI-generated images. For now, cite as you would any other image, using the guidelines APA has issued for AI-generated text.
Building blocks
Format
In-text citation
(Company that made the AI tool, year image was generated).
Bibliography
Company that made the AI tool. (Year image was generated). Name of the AI tool, as specifically as possible. Version of the AI tool. [AI image generator]. URL..
Examples
Check out the APA Audiovisual Media Style Guide for more information.
The Chicago Manual of Style's website recommends you cite AI-generated images like any other image, while including both the name of the AI tool that generated the image, the company that created the AI, and the prompt that generated the image.
Building blocks
Format
"Prompt," image generated by Company's AI Tool, date image was generated.
Example
Check out the Chicago Style Guide article on images for more information.
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