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APA Citation Style (7th Edition)

How to Cite Generative AI

Acknowledging your use of generative AI may not always involve a formal citation. For example, you could write a description of the tool you used and how you used it. Kari D. Weaver's article, "The Artificial Intelligence Disclosure (AID) Framework: An Introduction," provides suggestions and examples of what to include in an AI usage statement. For guidance on how to acknowledge use of AI in assignments, check with your course instructor. 

Some citation styles have developed guidelines for citing ChatGPT and other generative AI. Content from generative AI was initially considered a nonrecoverable source because it couldn't be retrieved. If different users give ChatGPT the same prompt, it produces a unique response each time. However, you can now share output from ChatGPT using the linking feature within the tool or a third-party tool such as AI Archives. These kinds of links can be useful for citing generative AI content. It is important to note that if you use the link feature within ChatGPT, deleting a conversation from your account will also cause the link to break.

The following examples are based on information provided by popular citation styles. As of February 2024, only APA, Chicago, and MLA have posted guidance about citing generative AI. Guidelines may change and new examples may be added, so check back frequently for updates, and consult resources specific to the citation style you are using. If the style does not yet have relevant guidelines, you could consider using the format for software.

APA (7th edition)

An APA Style Blog post gives citation examples along with more advice for using and citing generative AI. APA recommends treating the organization or individual who developed the model as the author.

Because the examples in the blog post were last updated in April 2023, some of the information may no longer be applicable. For example, ChatGPT no longer provides date-based versions that can easily be found and included in references. The following templates and examples use APA-style format as their basis but have been adapted based on ongoing changes to generative AI tools.

In-Text Citation

Template

(Author/Creator of AI model, Year of version used)

Examples

(OpenAI, 2024)

(Black Technology LTD, 2024)

Reference List Entry

Template

Author/creator of AI model. (Year of model). Name of model (Version of model) [Type or description of model]. Retrieved month day, year, from https://xxxxx..

Examples

OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT 3.5 [Large language model]. Retrieved February 26, 2024, from https://chat.openai.com

Black Technology LTD. (2024). Stable Diffusion (Online version) [Image generator]. Retrieved February 28, 2024 from https://stablediffusionweb.com

Note: ChatGPT currently has two available models: ChatGPT 3.5, which is free, and ChatGPT 4, which is subscription-based. The model you are using will appear at the top of the page where you enter prompts.

Chicago (18th edition)

An FAQ entry on the Chicago style website describes how AI models can be cited, and the 18th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style (sec. 14.112) gives more information. Chicago recommends only citing AI in a note (for the notes-bibliography system) or a parenthetical citation (for the author-date system) and not in a bibliography or reference list. However, the Chicago Manual does show how to format a bibliography or reference list entry if one is needed.

Footnote or Endnote (Notes-Bibliography System)

Template

Note number. Description of prompt, AI model including version, publisher/developer, date the text was generated, URL if available.

(Omit the prompt or any other details if you describe them in your text.)

Example

1. Response to "List some keywords related to the topic of environmental impacts of generative AI," ChatGPT-3.5, OpenAI, November 21, 2024, https://chatgpt.com/share/673fb625-697c-8011-a230-ce8a2c34f138.

2. Image generated in response to "Pepperoni pizza" in a surrealist style, Stable Diffusion, Black Technology LTD, February 28, 2024.

Bibliography Entry (Notes-Bibliography System)

Template

Publisher/Developer. Description of prompt. AI model including version, date the text was generated. URL if available.

Example

OpenAI. Response to "List some keywords related to the topic of environmental impacts of generative AI." ChatGPT-3.5, November 21, 2024. https://chatgpt.com/share/673fb625-697c-8011-a230-ce8a2c34f138.

In-Text Citation (Author-Date System)

Either in the text or in a parenthetical citation, include details like the AI tool you used (including version if available), the date the content was generated, and a description of the prompt. A parenthetical citation should include any information not described in your text.

Example

ChatGPT-3.5 generated a list of keywords about environmental impacts of generative AI (OpenAI, November 21, 2024).

I gave Stable Diffusion the prompt, "Pepperoni pizza" and selected a surrealist style (Black Technology LTD, February 28, 2024).

Reference List Entry (Author-Date System)

Template

Publisher/Developer. Year the text was generated. Description of prompt. AI model including version, month and day the text was generated. URL if available.

Example

OpenAI. 2024. Response to "List some keywords related to the topic of environmental impacts of generative AI." ChatGPT-3.5, November 21. https://chatgpt.com/share/673fb625-697c-8011-a230-ce8a2c34f138.

MLA (9th edition)

An MLA Style Center post includes guidance for using and citing generative AI. MLA does not recommend treating AI tools as authors, so citations should skip the author element.

MLA suggests including the general link to the AI tool (e.g., chat.openai.com/chat). However, if you use a third-party linking tool like ShareGPT, MLA recommends using that link instead.

In-Text Citation

Include the "title of source" element, shortened based on MLA guidelines if needed. For generative AI, the title will usually be a description of what was generated by the AI model.

Example

("Describe the symbolism")

("Green light")

Works Cited List Entry

Template

“Title of source" prompt. Name of AI Tool, version, Company, Date content was generated, URL to AI tool or archived content. 

Example

“Describe the symbolism of the green light in the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald” prompt. ChatGPT 3.5, OpenAI, 26 Feb. 2024, chat.openai.com. 

"Green light in The Great Gatsby in a futuristic style" prompt. Stable Diffusion, online version, Black Technology LTD, 28 Feb. 2024, https://stablediffusionweb.com.

Citing Generative AI for Publication

Different publishers are taking different approaches related to the use of generative AI. If you are writing for publication, check the publisher's information for authors.


This page was adapted from ChatGPT and Other Generative AI Tools by the University of Queensland Library, which is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.