Image: “Playful color drawing of a computer on a desk” prompt, Text to Image, Canva, 29 Aug. 2023, https://www.canva.com/ai-image-generator/.
In academic work, citation is when you give credit to creators whose ideas or information you have used or referred to. Citations not only let your readers know where an idea came from, but also point them to the original resource where you found the idea so that they can explore it for themselves. For more citation guidance, see our Citing Sources Guide.
When using generative AI, there is no single source to cite, and no one can replicate the exact answer you received later on. But it's still important to document how and where you got information.
If you quote text from an AI tool in your paper, doing this is more like quoting a person than a printed source. APA says that "nonretrievable data or quotations ... are usually cited as personal communications, [but] with ChatGPT-generated text there is no person communicating." Instead, credit the author (or creator) of the tool.
Example quote with in-text citation:
When prompted with “Is the left brain right brain divide real or a metaphor?” the ChatGPT-generated text indicated that although the two brain hemispheres are somewhat specialized, “the notation that people can be characterized as ‘left-brained’ or ‘right-brained’ is considered to be an oversimplification and a popular myth” (OpenAI, 2023).
Example reference:
OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat
This guidance was adapted by APA from their guidelines for citing software. Although the examples here use ChatGPT, you can use this format to cite other large language models, such as Gemini, and similar software.
The reference and in-text citations should be formatted like this:
- Reference: OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat
- Parenthetical citation: (OpenAI, 2023)
- Narrative citation: OpenAI (2023)
Source: McAdoo, T. (2023). How to cite ChatGPT. Apa.org. https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/how-to-cite-chatgpt
The MLA Style Center gives this general guidance for using new technologies like ChatGPT:
- Cite a generative AI tool whenever you paraphrase, quote, or incorporate into your own work any content (whether text, image, data, or other) that was created by it.
- Acknowledge all functional uses of the tool (like editing your prose or translating words) in a note, your text, or another suitable location.
- Take care to vet the sources it cites.
When creating a reference in MLA style, include the prompt used to generate the response.
Example: Works-Cited-List Entry
“Describe the symbolism of the green light in the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald” prompt. ChatGPT, 13 Feb. version, OpenAI, 8 Mar. 2023, chat.openai.com/chat.
Source: How do I cite generative AI in MLA style? (2023, March 17). MLA Style Center. https://style.mla.org/citing-generative-ai/
"Nonhuman artificial intelligence, language models, machine learning, or similar technologies cannot be listed as authors because these technologies do not qualify for authorship. If these models or tools are used to create content or assist with writing or manuscript preparation, authors must take responsibility for the integrity of the content generated by these tools. Authors should report the use of artificial intelligence, language models, machine learning, or similar technologies to create content or assist with writing or editing of manuscripts in the Acknowledgment section or Methods section if this is part of formal research design or methods. See also 5.2.1.1 Acknowledgment of Use of Artificial Intelligence and Language Models in Writing and Editing."
Flanagin, Annette, ' Ethical and Legal Considerations', AMA Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors, 11th ed. (New York, 2020; online edn, AMA Manual of Style, 3 Feb. 2020), https://doi.org/10.1093/jama/9780190246556.003.0005, accessed 28 July 2025.