How to Cite ChatGPT and AI Tools in APA and MLA
Generative AI tools have become part of how many students brainstorm, summarise and draft. If you use one in a way that shapes your work, you may need to cite it, just as you would any other source. Both the APA and the MLA have published guidance on how to do this, and the underlying principle is transparency.
APA format
APA treats the AI tool as the author being the company that created it, with the year, the name and version of the model, a description in brackets, and the URL.
OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com
In the text, cite it like any author and date source, for example (OpenAI, 2024). APA also recommends describing how you used the tool in your methods or a note, since the output is not retrievable by your reader.
MLA format
MLA treats the prompt as the title of the source, names the tool as the container, and includes the version, the company and the date.
“Describe the water cycle” prompt. ChatGPT, version, OpenAI, 2024, chat.openai.com.
The bigger question: should you use it at all?
Citation rules tell you how to acknowledge AI, but your institution’s academic integrity policy decides whether you are allowed to use it in the first place. Many courses permit AI for brainstorming but forbid it for writing graded text. Always check your assignment policy before relying on any AI tool, and when in doubt, ask your instructor.
Being open about your use of AI protects you. Hiding it, when your institution requires disclosure, is the kind of thing that turns an honest study aid into an integrity violation. For more on this, see our guide to understanding plagiarism.