How do I cite Chat GPT and other Generative AI in APA Style?

Answer

Citing Generated Text

In his blog entry about citing ChatGPT, McAdoo (2023a) states that using AI-generated text in your paper is more like sharing the program's output. Therefore you should "credit the author of the algorithm with a reference list entry and the corresponding in-text citation" (McAdoo, 2023a, para. 4). This is a controversial decision, as evidenced by the comments section of the blog post, which will probably change as the technology becomes more prominent. The examples below follow the instructions in the blog post.

 

Paraphrasing ChatGPT Text in Your Paper
When prompted with "explain the main causes of the Vietnam War" the ChatGPT-generated text indicated that the Geneva Accords of 1954, which were supposed to be temporary, divided Vietnam along the 17th parallel. The North was communist while the South was not causing a long and drawn-out conflict (OpenAI, 2023).

 

Template
Author. (Date). Name of tool (Version of tool) [Large language model]. URL

 

Example
OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (3.5 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

 

Note: APA's Guide recommends including the transcript of the chat in an appendix.

 

Citing Creative Visual Works

In McAdoo (2023a), the author suggests that we follow the reference template for software in section 10.10 of American Psychological Association (APA, 2020) for other AI models and software. McAdoo (2023b) is vague about how to create a reference and citation for visual AI work, except to suggest that we should use the same guidelines for locating the author, date, title, and source elements for the software, as used for ChatGPT.

APA (2020) provides guidance for placement of tables and figures in section 7.6; it provides two options: placing all tables and figures on separate pages after the reference list or embeding each table or figure in the text after each mention. Consult your professor for specific directions on where to include the image (McAdoo, 2023b).

Image Embedded In-Text

In the play, owls and clocks play a big role in symbolizing change and transformation as can be seen in figure 1 where the clock is embedded in the owl's body, merging both symbols (OpenArt Creative, 2023).

Figure 1

Marvel-style owl drawing depicting a clock embedded in its body

Cartoon owl image with clock
References Page Entry
OpenArt Creative. (2023, October 3). OpenArt. https://openart.ai/home
FAQ References
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.).
McAdoo, T. (2023a, April 7). How to cite ChatGPT. APA Style Blog. https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/how-to-cite-chatgpt
McAdoo, T. (2023b, April 10). Good question. If you have used image- or video-generating tools, you can follow the guidelines in this post about [Comment on the blog post "How to Cite ChatGPT"]. APA Style Blog. https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/how-to-cite-chatgpt#comment-6158359634

 

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  • Last Updated Feb 24, 2024
  • Views 289
  • Answered By Nora Rackley

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