Generative AI and Citation
Generative AI is artificial intelligence that generates original content, such as text, images, and videos, in response to prompts. Prompts are what you input into the AI system to get specific results. This could be a simple question, a complex paragraph, or even sounds and pictures. Your prompt directly impacts the content that the AI generates. Some examples of generative AI tools commonly used in writing are ChatGPT, Microsoft CoPilot, Gemini, and Grammarly.
Important notes
- Instructors have different rules about the use of generative AI tools. Check with your instructor before using AI-generated information in your paper.
- Do not use sources cited by AI tools without reading those sources yourself. Why? Because generative AI tools can create fake citations. Also, they may cite a legitimate source, but the cited content may be inaccurate.
When Do I cite?
You should include an in-text citation and corresponding Works Cited entry for a generative AI tool when you
- paraphrase, directly quote, or summarize any content created by the tool
- use data, images, sounds, or other content created by the tool in your work
It is considered plagiarism if you do not cite when using content created by a generative AI tool.
How Do I cite?
In-text citations
The in-text citation should include the prompt used to create the content in quotation marks.
For example, you might ask the AI tool, “What is the importance of women in folk music?”
The AI tool will generate an answer for you, such as:
Women have played a crucial role in folk music, both as performers and as storytellers. Their importance in the genre is multifaceted, reflecting their contributions to the preservation, evolution, and emotional depth of folk traditions. Female folk musicians have used their songs to comment on social issues, such as gender roles, inequality, and resistance.
Examples
Paraphrase
Women have been crucial to the growth and perseverance of folk music, often using their music for social change (“What is the”).
Direct Quote
“Women have played a crucial role in folk music, both as performers and as storytellers. Their importance in the genre is multifaceted, reflecting their contributions to the preservation, evolution, and emotional depth of folk traditions. Female folk musicians have used their songs to comment on social issues, such as gender roles, inequality, and resistance” (“What is the”).
Sometimes, the AI tool will cite sources in its answer to your prompt. If you want to quote, paraphrase, or summarize this cited information, MLA recommends that you go directly to the original source of the information. The original source is what you should cite in your essay and include in your Works Cited list.
It is important to note that generative AI is a rapidly changing technology, and citation guidelines will evolve as the tools expand.
Look here for more examples of:
- In-text AI-generated text
- Works cited examples of AI-generated text
Test your understanding of how and when to cite generative AI.
Artificial intelligence that generates original content, in response to user-generated prompts.
