How to Cite AI-Generated Content in Chicago Style
Learn how to properly cite AI-generated content and tools using both Chicago citation systems with ethical considerations.
AI Citation Overview & Ethics
As AI tools become increasingly important in research and writing, proper citation of AI-generated content is essential for academic integrity. Chicago style is developing guidelines for these emerging sources, emphasizing transparency and ethical use.
⚠️ Important Ethical Considerations
- • Always check your institution's AI policy before using AI tools
- • Be transparent about AI assistance in your research
- • Verify AI-generated information through reliable sources
- • Use AI as a research aid, not a replacement for critical thinking
- • Consider bias and limitations in AI responses
AI Citation Elements
- • AI tool name and version
- • Company or organization
- • Date of interaction
- • Prompt or query (summarized if lengthy)
- • URL (if applicable)
ChatGPT Citations
Notes-Bibliography System
Footnote/Endnote:
1. OpenAI, ChatGPT (GPT-4), "Causes of the American Civil War," November 15, 2023, https://chat.openai.com.
Bibliography entry:
OpenAI. ChatGPT (GPT-4). "Causes of the American Civil War." November 15, 2023. https://chat.openai.com.
Author-Date System
In-text citation:
(OpenAI 2023)
Reference list entry:
OpenAI. 2023. ChatGPT (GPT-4). "Causes of the American Civil War." November 15, 2023. https://chat.openai.com.
Specific Conversation
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. OpenAI, ChatGPT (GPT-4), response to "Explain the impact of industrialization on 19th-century labor movements," November 15, 2023, https://chat.openai.com/share/abc123def456.
Claude and Other AI Assistants
Claude by Anthropic
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. Anthropic, Claude (Claude-3), "Analysis of primary sources from the Progressive Era," November 12, 2023, https://claude.ai.
Author-Date reference list:
Anthropic. 2023. Claude (Claude-3). "Analysis of primary sources from the Progressive Era." November 12, 2023. https://claude.ai.
Google Bard
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. Google, Bard, "Timeline of women's suffrage movement in the United States," November 10, 2023, https://bard.google.com.
Author-Date reference list:
Google. 2023. Bard. "Timeline of women's suffrage movement in the United States." November 10, 2023. https://bard.google.com.
AI Writing and Research Tools
Grammarly AI
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. Grammarly, AI writing assistant, suggestions for "Analysis of Civil War primary sources," November 8, 2023, https://app.grammarly.com.
Notion AI
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. Notion Labs, Notion AI, "Research outline for democracy in ancient Greece," November 5, 2023, https://notion.so.
AI-Generated Images and Media
DALL-E
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. OpenAI, DALL-E 3, "Industrial revolution factory scene in 1800s America," image generated November 14, 2023, https://openai.com/dall-e-3.
Author-Date reference list:
OpenAI. 2023. DALL-E 3. "Industrial revolution factory scene in 1800s America." Image generated November 14, 2023. https://openai.com/dall-e-3.
Midjourney
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. Midjourney, "Civil War battlefield reconstruction," AI-generated image, November 11, 2023, https://midjourney.com.
Code Generation Tools
GitHub Copilot
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. GitHub, Copilot, code suggestions for "historical data visualization in Python," November 16, 2023, https://github.com/features/copilot.
CodeWhisperer
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. Amazon Web Services, CodeWhisperer, code generation for "census data analysis," November 13, 2023, https://aws.amazon.com/codewhisperer.
AI Research Assistants
Perplexity AI
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. Perplexity AI, "Sources on the economic impact of the New Deal," search results and analysis, November 17, 2023, https://perplexity.ai.
Author-Date reference list:
Perplexity AI. 2023. "Sources on the economic impact of the New Deal." Search results and analysis. November 17, 2023. https://perplexity.ai.
You.com
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. You.com, YouChat, "Summary of scholarly articles on westward expansion," November 9, 2023, https://you.com.
Citing AI Assistance vs. AI-Generated Content
Distinguish between AI assistance (editing, suggestions) and AI-generated content (substantial text creation):
AI Assistance (Acknowledgment)
In your acknowledgments or methods section:
"The author used Grammarly AI for grammar and style suggestions during the revision process."
AI-Generated Content (Full Citation)
Notes-Bibliography footnote:
1. OpenAI, ChatGPT (GPT-4), "Explanation of the causes and effects of the Great Depression," November 18, 2023, https://chat.openai.com.
Best Practices for AI Citations
- • Version specificity: Include the specific AI model version when known
- • Prompt transparency: Summarize your prompt or query clearly
- • Date precision: Use the exact date of interaction
- • Verification note: Indicate whether AI information was fact-checked
- • Institutional policy: Follow your institution's specific AI citation requirements
- • Conversation context: Provide context if the response was part of a longer conversation
Evolving Standards
Note: AI citation standards are rapidly evolving. Always check the latest Chicago Manual of Style updates and your institution's current policies for the most up-to-date guidelines.
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