Referencing AI / ChatGPT
How to cite ChatGPT
Treat ChatGPT as software: OpenAI is the author, "ChatGPT" is the title, and the link is https://chatgpt.com. Add the version if you can see it in the tool (for example GPT-5). Examples below use 9 October 2026; swap in the date you used it.
APA 7
Goes in your reference list. In the text, cite it as (Developer, Year).
OpenAI. (2026). ChatGPT (GPT-5) [Large language model]. https://chatgpt.com
In text: (OpenAI, 2026)
MLA 9
Goes in your Works Cited list. MLA puts your prompt at the start of the entry.
“Explain the main causes of urban heat islands” prompt. ChatGPT, GPT-5 version, OpenAI, 9 Oct. 2026, chatgpt.com.
In text: (“Explain the main causes…”)
Chicago (notes)
Chicago suggests a footnote rather than a bibliography entry.
1. ChatGPT, response to “Explain the main causes of urban heat islands,” OpenAI, October 9, 2026, https://chatgpt.com.
AGLC4
A footnote, then list it under 'Other' in your bibliography.
Output from ChatGPT, OpenAI to Alex Chen, 9 October 2026.
The acknowledgement
A reference covers what you quoted. Many universities also want a short statement saying how you used ChatGPT. For example:
I used ChatGPT (GPT-5, OpenAI, https://chatgpt.com) on 9 October 2026 to explain concepts I found hard to follow. My prompts included “Explain the main causes of urban heat islands”. I rewrote anything I used in my own words. I checked the facts it gave me against the original sources. A full record of my prompts and the outputs is available on request.
Your university may want its own wording. Make yours in the generator or find your university.