Acknowledging Generative AI Use

You may want or need to cite or acknowledge your use of generative AI tools, particularly chat-based products such as Copilot, Gemini, or ChatGPT. The appropriate approach depends on why and how you used the tool.

Start with the requirements for your work

Citation and acknowledgement practices vary by course, publication, discipline, and citation style. Before choosing an approach, check whether specific instructions already apply.

Requirements come first

Always prioritize guidance from the people and organizations associated with your work, for example:

  • your course instructor
  • the journal where you plan to publish
  • the relevant academic society or disciplinary group, or
  • the official guide for your citation style.

Keep a record while you work

If no specific instructions are available, begin with a clear description of the product or products you used and how you used them. Keep notes during the project. It is much easier to shorten or remove this information later than to reconstruct your process after the fact.

Guidance from major style manuals

The following resources explain how several widely used styles currently approach generative AI. Check the relevant guide again when you submit your work, as this guidance continues to evolve.

Style guide

APA Style

Style guide

Chicago Style

Consult the Chicago Manual of Style guidance on AI-generated content . Chicago is closely related to Turabian and CSE practice, and IEEE refers to Chicago for some matters not covered in its own manual.

English