As with any other source we use in research assignments, AI-generated content also needs to be cited. Below are instructions from common citation styles on how to cite this content.
Refer to your professor's course syllabus and assignment instructions to understand to what extent you are allowed to use AI in each class. It's a good idea to save the transcript of the AI chat for future reference since the content will be different each time, even if you ask AI the exact same question. Depending on your assignment, you may want to include the transcript as an appendix to help the reader understand your research.
AMA instructs authors that AI programs should never appear in a reference list as an author or creator of content. AMA suggests authors describe how AI was used in the methods section of their paper, or in the acknowledgements section.
For use in an academic assignment it can be referenced as below:
In-text reference: ChatGPT4 was used to draft patient interview sheets, which were subsequently reviewed and refined for accuracy and relevance.
Software Name. Version no. Publisher; Year. Accessed Date. URL
APA recommends treating the company that created the generative AI tool as the author.
Depending on your use, you may cite either:
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 notion that people can be characterized as ‘left-brained’ or ‘right-brained’ is considered to be an oversimplification and a popular myth” (OpenAI, 2023).
Generative AI company. (Year). AI product used to generate content (Month Day version) [Large language model]. URL
OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat
Generative AI company. (Year, Month Day). Description of content generated by the AI tool [Large language model]. URL
Example
OpenAI. (2023, August 27). ChatGPT response to a prompt about patient interview sheets [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/
The Chicago Manual of Style recommends citing generative AI in a numbered footnote or endnote. Below is an example of a numbered footnote.
Format: #. Text generated by generative AI tool. Date accessed, generative AI tool company. Link to tool used.
Example: 1. Text generated by ChatGPT, March 31, 2023, OpenAI, https://chat.openai.com.
MLA does not recommend treating AI as the author of AI-generated content. Instead, begin your reference entry with a description of your prompt to make clear how the generated material was produced.
While the green light in The Great Gatsby might be said to chiefly symbolize four main things: optimism, the unattainability of the American dream, greed, and covetousness (“Describe the symbolism”), arguably the most important—the one that ties all four themes together—is greed.
Format: “Prompt text” prompt. AI tool used, Version, AI tool creator, Day Month Year used, URL.
Example: “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.
Notes from updated MLA guidance
If the prompt is long, you may summarize it rather than quoting it in full.
The date of use (the day you accessed and generated the output) is required.
MLA stresses that citations should make it clear the content came from a generative AI tool, not from a human author.
Source: United World College Changshu
