How to Cite AI in MLA Format: Complete Guide

Using AI in academic settings is a new frontier for many students and educators, but one crucial skill is learning how to properly cite AI in essays. Proper citation not only demonstrates the intellectual path behind your arguments but also helps avoid AI plagiarism. While citation standards are evolving, major style guides, including MLA, have started providing guidance. This article offers a detailed look at when and how to cite AI-generated material, including text and images, in MLA format.

Understanding AI Citations

The rules for AI use in classrooms can vary by institution, so the first step is to review your course’s generative AI policies. As a general principle, if you are unsure, it is better to cite AI than to omit it. Kimberly Munko, Adjunct Faculty at South College, notes, “The academic community expects honesty. If you used AI for grammar help, you should include an AI disclosure, even if no one could detect it. Being open about it builds trust.” Additionally, generative AI can sometimes create inaccurate or fabricated references, known as hallucinations. Tools like Aigcchecker’s Hallucination Detector can help identify misleading claims before you cite them.

Why Citing AI Matters

Citing AI serves the same purpose as citing books, articles, or other sources: it maintains the integrity of your work and helps readers understand your thought process. Munko explains that many institutions view AI disclosure as part of academic integrity, especially for graduate students, who are held to higher standards. Citing AI also encourages critical evaluation of the AI’s output, improving your AI literacy and your ability to explain how the tool influenced your thinking. For instance, if you use ChatGPT to summarize judicial appointment systems for an essay on “How should judges be appointed?”, that AI output becomes a source that must be credited.

When to Cite AI in MLA

You should cite AI whenever its content is incorporated into your work. This includes AI-generated text, paraphrased ideas, images, or data. If AI tools were used behind the scenes for translation or editing, mentioning this in your paper is recommended even if it does not appear in the Works Cited list. MLA style is flexible and allows for adjustments to fit the context rather than rigidly following a template. Since AI content lacks a human author, MLA recommends using a brief description of your prompt as the author surrogate in both in-text and Works Cited entries. Where possible, include a shareable link to the AI chat transcript rather than just the homepage of the tool.

MLA Citation Format for AI

The general structure for citing AI text in MLA is:

"Description of the generated content" prompt. Title of AI Tool, Version, Publisher, Date generated, URL.

Description of the generated content: Your original prompt or an abbreviated version in quotation marks, followed by the word "prompt."

Title of AI Tool: The AI platform name, e.g., ChatGPT, in italics.

Version: The model version, e.g., GPT-4, if available.

Publisher: The company behind the tool, e.g., OpenAI.

Date generated: The exact date content was produced (Day Mon. Year).

URL: The shareable link or general homepage if a transcript link is unavailable.

Citing Chatbots and AI Models

For chatbots like Claude, Gemini, or other generative models, follow the same pattern. The description of the content becomes the title in your Works Cited entry and the reference for in-text citations. The in-text citation references your description in parentheses, for example: (“Analysis of Act II themes”). Consistency is key: the description in the Works Cited must match the in-text citation.

Examples of MLA Citations for AI

Example 1: Judicial Appointments (ChatGPT)

Works Cited: “Summary of judicial appointment methods” prompt. ChatGPT, GPT-3.5, OpenAI, 8 Feb. 2025, chat.openai.com/g/38239493.

In-text: (“Summary of judicial appointment methods”)

Example 2: Coral Reefs and Coastal Protection (Claude)

Works Cited: “Explanation of how coral reefs reduce storm impact” prompt. Claude, 3.2, Anthropic, 8 Feb. 2025, claude.ai/coral-reefs.

In-text: (“Explanation of how coral reefs reduce storm impact”)

Example 3: Ethics of Forgiveness (Gemini)

Works Cited: “Overview of ethical arguments about forgiveness” prompt. Gemini, version 2.0, Google, 8 Feb. 2025, https://gemini.google.com/app/c6f3e8ab96872b.

In-text: (“Overview of ethical arguments about forgiveness”)

Parenthetical Citation Guidelines

Do ✅: Use the short description from your Works Cited entry, keep it brief, use quotation marks, and always include parentheses even when paraphrasing.

Don’t ❌: Invent new descriptions, paste the full prompt, change wording inconsistently, or include tool names in parentheses.

Citing AI-Generated Images

MLA treats AI-generated images differently from traditional art. You are considered the creator, and the AI tool is the method used. Citation emphasizes your prompt and tool details rather than authorship.

You need:

1. A caption beneath the image (MLA figure guidelines)
2. A Works Cited entry describing image generation

Example Caption (coral reefs): Fig. 1. AI-generated image of a coral reef acting as a natural storm barrier, created using DALL·E on 8 Feb. 2025.

Example Works Cited Entry: “Coral reef storm-barrier illustration” prompt. DALL·E, version 3, OpenAI, 8 Feb. 2025, labs.openai.com. AI-generated image.

Example Works Cited Entry (judicial diagram): “Diagram of judicial appointment models” prompt. ChatGPT Image Generator, GPT-4.1, OpenAI, 8 Feb. 2025, chat.openai.com. AI-generated image.

Conclusion

Citing AI in MLA format is a repeatable process that becomes easier with practice. Always include a shareable link if available, and be transparent about AI contributions. José Antonio Bowen, author of Teaching with AI, notes, "I do though think it will shift, as no one acknowledges a thesaurus or spell checker any more." While standards may evolve, it is currently essential to cite AI whenever used, prioritizing transparency and academic integrity.

FAQ on Citing AI

Do I have to cite AI if I paraphrased it? Yes, paraphrased AI content still requires citation.

Do I need a URL? Only if a shareable transcript is available; MLA prefers it for context.

Should I include the AI model in-text? No. Include model, version, publisher, and date only in the Works Cited entry.