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Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Learn about Artificial Intelligence (AI) at NIC

Citing AI-Created Images in MLA Style

Use these best practices to quote or reproduce the image content generated by AI in your paper:

  • When incorporating the image in your work, caption the AI generated image as outlined in section 1.7 of the MLA Handbook. For an example of the caption, please visit the Works-Cited and In-Text Examples tab above.
  • Entry in the works-cited-list is optional for AI generated images. If you choose not to create a works-cited-list entry for your image, you must include all information in your caption.
  • Depending on the tool's features, include the URL directly to the image used, or if not possible, include the general URL to the tool.

Applying MLA's Template to cite images generated by AI 

Entry in the works-cited-list is optional for AI generated images. If you choose not to create a works-cited-list entry for your image, you must include all information in your caption.

TEMPLATE & EXAMPLE

"Description of AI-generated content" description type. Name of AI tool, version, publisher, date, URL. 
 "Flowers in springtime" prompt.  ChatGPT, 13 Feb. version, OpenAI, 9 Mar. 2023, chat.openai.com/chat.

 

Notes:

Author:  Use the "Title of source" rather than name of AI tool as author.

Title of Source:  Description of AI-generated content, such as the prompt if not already done in the text

Title of Container:  Name of AI tool, such as ChatGPT 

Version:  The version of the tool used. As the format for version number is still evolving, use either the date (e.g. 13 Feb version), a version number (e.g. ChatGPT 3.5; ), or, a name (e.g. Claude 3.7 sonnet).  

Publisher:  Name of company that developed the tool

Date:  Date the content was generated

Location: Provide the specific URL to the image created, or, to the general URL for the tool

 

Entry in the works-cited-list is optional for AI generated images. If you choose not to create a works-cited-list entry for your image, you must include all information in your caption. 

TEMPLATE

Caption goes below image

IMAGE GOES HERE

Fig. X. "Description of AI-generated content" description type. Name of AI tool, version, author, date, location. 

Works-cited

"Description of AI-generated content" description type. Name of AI tool, version, author, date, location. 

EXAMPLE

 

Fig. 1. "A photo of a teddy bear on a skateboard in Times Square" prompt, DALL-E, version 2, OpenAI, 8 Mar. 2023, https://openai.com/dall-e-2.

Works-cited

"A photo of a teddy bear on a skateboard in Times Square" prompt, DALL-E, version 2, OpenAI, 8 Mar. 
         2023, https://openai.com/dall-e-2.

Another great example of AI-generated images: (Example 3):  Citing AI-generated Images
Valuable background information on citing and referencing images: MLA Tables and Illustrations