MLA Citation Guide (9th Edition): AI-Generated Content

Generative AI tools are relatively new, and constantly evolving. Because of this, the guidelines around how to cite these tools frequently change.

If you plan on using AI tools in your assignment, check this page frequently, to ensure you are following the most up-to-date guidelines on how to cite these tools.

Please note: If you have used AI-generated content in your assignment, you are required not only to provide proper citations, but also, to explain how you used AI for your assignment.

• For example, did the AI tool translate words for you? Did it explain a concept to you? Did it give you a plan for how you would structure your assignment? Describe all of the ways in which the AI tool(s) helped you.
• If your assignment contains content that was originally generated by an AI tool and then modified (for example, you edited text that you got from ChatGPT, and then added it to your assignment), you should acknowledge this as well.

You can do this at any point in your assignment (in the introduction, the body text, and/or any other appropriate place).

Also, be sure to confirm that your instructor allows the use of AI tools in assignments.

The term “prompt” refers to the instructions that you write and submit to a generative AI tool (such as ChatGPT or DALL·E), in order to get it to perform a task for you.

The generative AI tool will then create an “output.” This is the response it gives to your prompt. An output might take the form of text, images, videos, or other media.

Depending on what you are working on, you may ask the generative AI tool to do things like:

• Translate words from one language to another
• Explain a concept, or concepts, to you
• Synthesize two or more texts
• Write a short text
• Create step-by-step instructions for how to complete a large assignment

There is no set standard for how long your prompt should be. It all depends on what you want the generative AI tool to do. For some tasks, an effective prompt could be one sentence long; for others, a successful prompt would require a full paragraph of instructions.

For tips on creating a successful prompt, see “What is a Prompt?” in our Artificial Intelligence guide.

This description was adapted from "Fine Tuning Prompts for AI Tools" from the "Artificial Intelligence Guide" by Bronte Chang, University of Calgary Library which is licensed under CC BY 4.0.

In your citation, include a direct URL to the AI-generated content only if it is publicly available (i.e. the person who clicks on the URL will be able to view your AI-generated content without having to log in first). If the direct URL requires a login, include a general URL to the AI tool instead.

​​​​​​“Full text of prompt” prompt. ChatGPT, Version, OpenAI, Day Month Year, chat.openai.com/chat.

Note: Explain how you used ChatGPT for your assignment. (See A Note on Citing AI-Generated Content in MLA above for more details.)

Do not include a direct URL to your ChatGPT prompt and output. Use chat.openai.com/chat instead.

If you insert an image generated by DALL-E into your assignment, create a caption directly below the image, using the following formatting:

Note: DALL-E allows users to create a Direct URL to the images that they create. If you are unable to generate a Direct URL, however, use labs.openai.com/ instead.

Example:

Fig. 1. “Create a watercolour-style image of a vase of tulips” prompt, DALL-E, version 3, OpenAI, 18 Sept. 2024, labs.openai.com/.

Works Cited:

In MLA, if the caption of your AI-generated image contains full bibliographic details (as is the case above), and you do not refer to the image anywhere else in your assignment, you do not have to include the citation for it in a Works Cited list.

If you do need to write a Works Cited entry for your image, use the following formatting:

“Title of Video.” Name of AI Tool, version if applicable, Company or Creator of AI Tool, Day Month Year, URL.

or:

“Title of Audio.” Name of AI Tool, version if applicable, Company or Creator of AI Tool, Day Month Year, URL.

Note: MLA instructs users to give a direct URL to their AI-generated content only if that URL is publicly available. If you are unable to generate a publicly available direct URL to your AI-generated content, you should include a general URL to the AI tool itself instead. 

The information on this page was developed using the following resource:

“How Do I Cite Generative AI in MLA style?” MLA Style Center, https://style.mla.org/citing-generative-ai. Accessed 21 Sept. 2024.