Do I have to cite AI tools?

If your course allows AI and you used it in a way that shaped your work, you should acknowledge it, usually with a citation, a disclosure statement or both. If your course bans AI, using it may be misconduct whether or not you cite it. Check your syllabus.

Can I cite ChatGPT as a source for facts?

It is rarely a good idea. AI tools can produce errors and invented references, and the text may not be retrievable by a reader. Find and cite the original, reliable source for any fact.

How does APA treat AI tools?

APA's guidance has been updated, with the developer treated as the author and the tool described in the reference. Check the current guidance on the APA Style site and your instructor's preference, since older library guides may show a different format.

Should I keep my AI conversations?

Yes, if you used AI in your work. Saving prompts and responses lets you show what you did, supports a disclosure statement and helps if questions arise.

What if my instructor has not said anything about AI?

Ask. Policies vary widely, and assuming it is allowed is risky. A short email asking what is permitted protects you.

Citing AI Tools: How to Acknowledge ChatGPT and Other AI

Generative AI tools such as chatbots and image generators have changed how many students work, and rules have not kept up evenly. Some courses welcome AI for brainstorming, some allow it with disclosure and some ban it outright. Citation guidance is also changing, with style bodies updating their advice as the tools develop.

This guide explains the principles that stay steady, how the main styles approach AI, and a practical routine for staying on the right side of your course rules. Because guidance is changing, check the official style site and your instructor's instructions before you finalize anything.

First: what do your rules say?

Citation is the second question. The first is whether you are allowed to use AI at all, and in what way. Check:

The syllabus and assignment brief. Many now include an AI statement.
Your institution's policy on AI and academic integrity.
Your instructor, if anything is unclear.

Typical positions include:

Policy	What it usually means
Prohibited	Any use in graded work is a breach
Allowed for planning or editing only	Not for generating text you submit
Allowed with disclosure	You may use it, and must say how
Allowed with citation	You must cite any AI-generated content you include
Open	Use is permitted, though honesty about it is still expected

A citation does not make prohibited use acceptable. If AI is banned, the right step is not to use it, not to cite it.

Why AI needs careful handling

There are good reasons for caution beyond the rules.

Errors. AI tools can state false things confidently, including wrong dates, misquoted authors and fabricated statistics.
Invented sources. Chatbots have been known to generate references that look real but do not exist. Never include a reference you have not located and read.
No stable record. A chat may not be retrievable by your reader, and responses can change.
No author in the usual sense. The tool is not a scholar whose argument you can evaluate, and it often draws on unattributed material.
Bias and gaps. Outputs reflect the data and design of the system.

For these reasons, most guidance says that AI is a poor source for facts. Use it, if allowed, as a tool, and cite the real sources for claims.

Cite or disclose?

There are two different acts.

Citing gives credit for specific content generated by a tool, such as a quoted response, in the same way you cite any source.
Disclosing is a statement that explains how you used AI in the process, such as for brainstorming, grammar suggestions or code help.

Some courses require one, some require both and some ask for a short statement at the end of the paper. If your instructor does not specify, include a brief note describing what you used and how.

An example disclosure:

I used ChatGPT to suggest alternative headings for my outline and to check my grammar in the final paragraph. All research, analysis and writing are my own, and I verified every source independently.

(Adapt to what you actually did, and only say what is true.)

How the main styles handle AI

The style bodies have published guidance, and it has been revised more than once. The patterns below are general. Always check the current page for your style.

APA

APA treats the developer of the tool as the author of the content, and describes the tool and the type of output in the reference. Guidance for citing a specific chat was updated in 2025, replacing the format that many library guides still show. In the text, the citation uses the developer and the year, for example (OpenAI, 2025). If you are unsure which version your instructor expects, ask, and follow the current APA Style guidance.

MLA

MLA recommends citing generative AI by describing the prompt in the title position, naming the tool as the container, and giving the version, the company, the date and the location. An example of the pattern:

"Describe the symbolism of the green light in The Great Gatsby" prompt. ChatGPT, version name, OpenAI, 8 Mar. 2025, chat.openai.com/chat.

(This shows the structure, not a real exchange, and MLA's advice may have been refined since.) MLA also advises that you should not treat the tool as an author and should acknowledge any use that affects your work.

Chicago

Chicago generally treats AI-generated text as something to acknowledge in a note, not in the bibliography, because a reader cannot retrieve it. The note gives the tool, the prompt, the developer and the date. The 18th edition includes guidance on citing AI-generated text and images. Check the current manual or your instructor's preference.

Harvard and other styles

Harvard versions vary by university, so look for your institution's AI referencing guide. Many university libraries have published their own.

A practical routine

Check the rules for each assignment before you use any AI tool.
Save your prompts and the responses if you use AI. Date them and note the tool and version.
Do not copy AI text into your work unless it is explicitly allowed. If you do, mark it as a quotation and cite it.
Verify every fact and source. Find the original reference and read it. Do not cite what you have not seen.
Write a short disclosure if your course asks for one, or if you used AI in a way a reader would want to know about.
Format the citation in your required style, using current guidance.
Keep your drafts, so you can show how your own work developed.

What counts as using AI

Be honest about what you did. Uses that are often worth disclosing include:

Generating text, ideas or an outline that you then used.
Rewriting or paraphrasing your own sentences.
Summarizing sources, which risks inaccuracy.
Writing or debugging code.
Producing images or data.
Translation of text you then submit.

Grammar and spelling checkers are treated differently by different institutions, so check whether built-in tools count.

Images, code and data

If you use AI to generate an image or code, the same principles apply: check the rules, acknowledge the tool and say how you used it. Check the tool's terms for rules on how outputs may be used. For images, a caption can give the tool, the prompt and the date. See our guide to referencing images, tables and figures for the usual format.

A short example of good practice

Suppose your course allows AI for brainstorming but not for drafting. You ask a chatbot for ideas on how to structure an essay on urban transport, save the conversation, pick one idea, and then research and write the essay yourself. In your submission, you add a one-sentence note: "I used ChatGPT to suggest possible structures for this essay and saved the conversation; all research and writing are my own." You cite the sources you found yourself, and none of the chatbot's wording appears in your paper.

Now suppose the same course had banned AI. The right step would have been not to use it at all, and no disclosure would repair that.

Common mistakes

Assuming AI is allowed without checking.
Citing AI as an authority for facts.
Including invented references from a chatbot.
Not saving prompts, so you cannot show what you did.
Using outdated citation formats from older guides.
Using a disclosure to excuse banned use.
Hiding use that your course required you to declare.

Where this connects

AI rules are part of the wider framework of academic integrity. Our guides on academic integrity and misconduct and avoiding plagiarism explain the underlying principles.

A quick checklist

Do I know what my course allows?
Have I saved my prompts and outputs?
Have I verified every fact and reference independently?
Have I used the current citation format for my style?
Have I included a disclosure if one is needed?
Is the work still genuinely mine?

Final thoughts

The citation formats will keep changing, but the principles will not: follow your course rules, be honest about what you used, verify everything and credit the real sources. If you are in doubt about whether or how to use AI, ask your instructor first. A short question costs far less than an integrity case.