AI Citation Guide 2026 Update: APA, MLA, Chicago Examples for Images, Audio, and Video

You used AI to generate an image, audio track, or video for your research project—and now you need to cite it. The rules for citing AI-generated media are different from citing AI-generated text, and they’re still evolving. In this guide, you’ll get updated 2026 examples for APA, MLA, and Chicago styles covering images, audio, video, and code, plus practical tips for documenting your workflow.

Key Takeaways

• AI-generated media should not be cited as if a human authored it
• Each citation style treats AI tools differently—MLA uses the prompt as the title, APA credits the developer company, and Chicago prefers footnotes over bibliography entries
• Always save a shareable URL and document your exact prompts when generating AI media
• If your AI tool doesn’t provide a stable URL, link to the tool’s homepage
• In-text citations follow different rules in each style—don’t assume they’re interchangeable

Why AI Citation Rules Are Different From Text Citation

When you cite AI-generated text (like a chat response), you typically list the AI company as the author and the chat title as the source. But AI-generated media—images, audio, video, and code—requires different formatting because the output is a unique, prompt-specific creation rather than a retrievable conversation.

The distinction matters because:

• Retrievability: Most AI images, audio clips, and videos aren’t permanently archived the way chat logs are
• Prompt dependency: The output only makes sense in context of the exact prompt used
• No human author: AI tools can’t legally “own” a work, so citation formats treat them as software rather than authors

This is why the citation formats below are separate from the text citation rules covered in our How to Cite AI Tools in Academic Papers guide.

The Three Citation Styles at a Glance

Here’s the fastest way to understand the differences before diving into examples.

Bottom line: You’ll format each piece differently. Don’t copy-paste between styles.

How to Cite AI-Generated Images

APA Style (7th Edition)

For AI-generated images, APA treats the output as a figure. You create a figure number, an italicized title, and a note beneath the image. No end-text reference is required as long as you include a full note.

Figure format:

Figure 1
Rainy Skyline in Berlin
Note. Image generated using DALL-E. The image was generated in response to the prompt: “A watercolor painting of a rainy skyline in Berlin.”

In-text citation: (OpenAI, 2026)

MLA Style (9th Edition)

MLA requires the full citation in the figure caption, treating the prompt as the title element. The MLA Style Center updated its guidance in August 2025 to include model names and version numbers.

Caption format:

Fig. 1. “Create an expressionist-style image of two people standing on a beach looking at the ocean” prompt, DALL-E, version 3, OpenAI, 23 Sept. 2024, chatgpt.com/share/66f1c3a3-3f90-8000-9750-82c57c4a6592.

You can also create a separate Works Cited entry instead of including the full citation in the caption. See the MLA Handbook (Section 1.7) for image and illustration formatting.

Chicago Style (18th Edition)

Chicago places AI-generated images in the footnotes rather than the bibliography. The full citation appears in the note, not the final reference list.

Footnote format:

1. Image generated using DALL-E, version 3, OpenAI, September 23, 2024, chatgpt.com/share/66f1c3a3-3f90-8000-9750-82c57c4a6592.

How to Cite AI-Generated Audio

APA Style

Treat AI-generated audio as an audio track and follow the software reference template.

Reference list format:

OpenAI. (2025, November 14). Chill lo-fi synthwave beat [Audio track]. Suno AI (v3.5). suno.com

In-text citation: (OpenAI, 2025)

MLA Style

MLA uses the prompt or generated title as the Works Cited entry, with the AI tool as the container.

Works Cited format:

“Upbeat acoustic folk song about summer” prompt. Udio, v1.5, Udio, 12 Feb. 2026, udio.com.

In-text citation: (“Upbeat acoustic folk”)

Chicago Style

Chicago prefers footnotes over bibliography entries for AI audio, unless a stable, publicly available link exists.

Footnote format:

1. Audio generated by Suno AI, v3.5, OpenAI, October 24, 2025, suno.com.

Bibliography (if instructor requires):

OpenAI. 2025. “Chill lo-fi synthwave beat.” Suno AI. October 24, 2025. suno.com.

How to Cite AI-Generated Video

APA Style

Use the software reference template, treating the video generator as the source tool.

Reference list format:

OpenAI. (2026). ChatGPT (Sora) (Jan 2026 version) [AI video generator]. https://chatgpt.com/

In-text citation: (OpenAI, 2026)

MLA Style

MLA treats the prompt as the title and lists the AI tool as the container with version and company.

Works Cited format:

“Photorealistic drone shot of a futuristic city in 2050, sunset, 8k” prompt. Sora, v1.0, OpenAI, 15 Jan. 2026, sora.openai.com.

In-text citation: (“Photorealistic drone shot”)

Chicago Style

Chicago places AI video citations in footnotes.

Footnote format:

1. Video generated by Sora, v1.0, OpenAI, January 15, 2026, sora.openai.com.

How to Cite AI-Generated Code and Software

Citing AI code assistants like GitHub Copilot follows slightly different rules depending on how deeply the code is integrated into your work.

APA Style

If you used AI to generate substantial code that forms a core part of your paper, cite the specific chat. If you used it for minor assistance, cite the tool generally.

Specific chat reference:

Microsoft. (2026, April 10). Python data analysis script [Generative AI chat]. GitHub Copilot. https://copilot.github.com/share/…

General tool reference:

Microsoft. (2026). GitHub Copilot [Code assistance tool]. https://github.com/features/copilot

MLA Style

Works Cited format:

“Python data analysis script for loading and cleaning CSV files” prompt. GitHub Copilot, Microsoft, April 10, 2026, github.com/features/copilot.

Chicago Style

Chicago generally does not cite AI integrated into software (like Copilot within an IDE) the way it treats spellcheck as a common tool. However, if the generated code is central to your work, include it in the footnotes.

Footnote format:

1. Code generated by GitHub Copilot, Microsoft, April 10, 2026, github.com/features/copilot.

Decision-Oriented: When to Cite vs. When to Acknowledge

Not every AI interaction requires a formal citation. Here’s when to use each approach:

Cite formally when:

• You reproduced the AI output verbatim (quoted text, reproduced image)
• The AI-generated content is the primary evidence supporting your argument
• You’re submitting to a publisher or journal that requires full transparency

Acknowledge in text or author note when:

• You used AI for brainstorming or editing your own writing
• You used AI as a research assistant but verified and rewrote all information
• The AI output is peripheral to your core argument

Do NOT cite as an author when:

• The AI generated the work (MLA explicitly forbids treating AI as an author)
• You’re using AI as a search tool (APA recommends citing specific chats)
• The tool is integrated into software you already own (Chicago treats this like spellcheck)

What To Know First: Documenting Your AI Workflow

Before you write a single citation, set up a tracking system. Every citation style emphasizes prompt documentation, and the details matter.

Save these details at generation time:

• The exact AI tool and model/version used
• The full prompt (or at least a complete description)
• The date generated
• A shareable or stable URL (if available)
• Any parameter settings that affected the output

For video and image generation tools that don’t provide stable URLs, always save the tool’s homepage URL. Both the UBC Library and Harvard’s AI guide emphasize this as the fallback requirement when a shareable link isn’t available.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Listing the AI tool as an author in MLA — MLA 9th Edition explicitly reserves “author” status for human creators. Never list ChatGPT, DALL-E, or Sora as the author.
2. Using the same format for all media types — A chat response and a generated video are cited differently. Don’t assume one format covers everything.
3. Omitting the date — Every major citation style requires the generation date. This is especially important because AI models change outputs over time.
4. Forgetting to check your instructor’s policy — Citation style doesn’t override departmental policy. Some programs require AI acknowledgment statements regardless of format.
5. Citing AI hallucinated sources — If an AI tool surfaces external sources you didn’t verify, cite the original source directly, not the AI response. The MLA Style Center warns that AI tools “can hallucinate, or make up, sources or incorrectly summarize the content that it does reference.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I include the AI prompt in my Works Cited or reference list?

MLA includes the prompt (or prompt description) in the citation as the title element. APA does not include prompts in the reference list but recommends describing them in the text or appendix. Chicago places prompt details in footnotes rather than the bibliography.

What if my AI tool doesn’t provide a shareable URL?

All three styles allow you to use the AI tool’s homepage URL as a fallback. The MLA Style Center’s 2025 update explicitly states that “a general link to the AI tool can be provided if that stable URL feature isn’t available.”

Can I cite AI-generated content as a human author?

No. Neither APA nor MLA treats AI as a human author. APA lists the developer company as the author; MLA omits the author field entirely and uses the prompt as the title. Chicago does not list AI as an author in the bibliography.

What about AI-generated audio from platforms like Suno or Udio?

Treat AI-generated audio as a standalone audio track. Include the developer company (APA), the prompt title (MLA), and a footnote entry (Chicago). If the audio is structured as a podcast episode, substitute “[Audio podcast episode]” for “[Audio track]” in the APA format.

Do I need to cite AI tools used for translation or editing?

APA recommends citing the tool generally rather than specific chats when used for editing, translating, or refining your own writing. Include a general reference and describe the use in the Method section or author note.

Next Steps: Verify Before You Submit

Before submitting work that includes AI-generated media, scan it with Paper-Checker’s free AI detection tool to ensure your citations and disclosures are accurate. Understanding how AI detectors work helps you spot where the detector looks for AI signatures—and knowing how to cite properly ensures you’re not caught in a citation format blind spot.

Related Guides

• How to Cite AI Tools in Academic Papers: Complete Citation Guide — Text citation examples for APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard
• AI Detection Accuracy: Understanding False Positives — Why AI detection tools flag different media types
• Ethical AI Writing Tools for Students: A Responsible Usage Guide — When and how to use AI tools ethically in academic work
• AI Writing Tools for Research: The Best Tools for Academic Writing — Research tool comparison with ethical guidelines

Want to Check Your Work?

Use Paper-Checker’s free AI detection scan to verify originality before submission. Our tool scans billions of sources and provides detailed reports highlighting plagiarism percentages and AI detection scores.

Sources: MLA Style Center (updated August 2025); APA Style Blog (September 2025); Purdue University Library Guides (April 2026); Harvard University AI Citation Guide (May 2026); UBC Library GenAI Citation Guide (April 2026); University of Maryland AI Citation Guide (January 2026).