Images: AI Imagery & Citation

How to reference images that you produce using an AI tool:

To include the image in your work, provide a figure number and brief title above the image. Below the image, provide a caption that explains that the work was generated using an AI tool, and what prompt was used. No reference list entry is required for an image that you have produced using an AI tool.

Caption Format:

Format: Note. Image generated using the prompt "Text of prompt," by Name of AI Tool and Developer Name, Image Creator, Year (URL).

Caption Example:

Figure 1

An AI-generated image of flowers in a field

Note. Image generated using the prompt “A photorealistic image of a delicate cosmo surrounded by wildflowers blowing in a gentle breeze in a sunny meadow,” by Microsoft Designer and Microsoft Corporation, Image Creator, 2025 (https://designer.microsoft.com/image-creator).

How to reference AI-generated images reproduced in a published source:

If using AI-generated images reproduced in a published source (e.g. a magazine article), reference the published source in the caption below the figure (See: instructions for generating APA 7th style captions). Include a figure number and a brief title above the image, and information about the image, including the source, in the caption below the image. Also include the published source in your reference list using the standard APA guidelines.

Caption Format:

Format: Note. Description of figure. From: "Title of article/book/webpage etc", by A.A. Author, year of publication, Journal/Newspaper title (if applicable), volume number in italics (if applicable), issue number (if applicable), page number/s (if applicable), DOI/URL (if applicable), Copyright Year and Owner.

Caption Example:

Note. AI-generated image of AI-generated band the Velvet Sundown playing AI-generated music. From "An AI-generated band got 1m plays on Spotify. Now music insiders say listeners should be warned." by L. Bakare, 2025, The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jul/14/an-ai-generated-band-got-1m-plays-on-spotify-now-music-insiders-say-listeners-should-be-warned, Copyright 2025 The Guardian.

How to reference an image that you produce using an AI tool:

Follow the Chicago-style caption rules for your own work. Include the name of the AI tool that was used as well as the prompt.

Caption Format:

Format: Figure number. Image generated by Name and version of AI tool, Developer of AI tool, Date content was generated (Month Day, Year), from the prompt "Text of Prompt."

Caption Example:

Fig. 1. Image generated by Microsoft Designer version 1.0.28, Microsoft Corporation, August 16, 2025, from the prompt “A dad plays guitar in a sunlit living room while his toddler plays nearby.” 

How to reference an AI-generated image reproduced from a published source:

The Chicago Manual of Style states that information about images and works of art can usually be presented in the text, rather than a note or bibliography. A caption below the image can be used to include the necessary information. Use the name of the human creator (if known) as the artist’s name and include information that the work was generated using AI. If the human creator of the image is unknown, use text such as “Artwork created using (the AI tool)” in place of the creator's name.

Caption Format:

Format: Figure number. Artist’s Name, Title of work (if known), Year of production (if known). Artwork created using AI Tool’s Name, in Author's Name, “prompt details.” Name of source, Date, URL.

Caption Example:

Figure 1: Andrew Frelon, Velvet Sundown, 2025. Artwork created using Suno, in Lanre Bakare, "An AI-generated band got 1m plays on Spotify. Now music insiders say listeners should be warned." The Guardian, July 14, 2025, https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jul/14/an-ai-generated-band-got-1m-plays-on-spotify-now-music-insiders-say-listeners-should-be-warned

How to reference an image that you produce using an AI tool

If you are incorporating an AI-generated image in your work, you will need to create a caption for it following the guidelines in section 1.7 of the MLA Handbook. Use a description of the prompt, followed by the AI tool, version, and date created.

Caption Format:

Format: Figure number. “Description of what was generated” prompt, AI tool, Version of AI tool, Publisher, Date Created, Location (general URL)

Caption Example:

Fig. 1. “A vision of an Irish cottage in a soft, watercolor style” prompt, Microsoft Designer, version 1.0.28, Microsoft Corporation, 15 July 2025, https://designer.microsoft.com/image-creator

How to reference an AI-generated image reproduced from a published source:

While MLA does not currently offer any advice on how to reference an AI-generated image reproduced from a published source, it does offer guidance on how to cite indirect sources - specifically, in section 6.77 of the MLA Handbook. Using this section of the handbook as a guide, it is possible to construct a viable reference for AI-generated content of this kind. 

Caption Format:

Format: Figure number. Author’s (of published work) Last name, First name. Name of Published Article. Created by Artist’s Name, version number of AI tool (if known), AI Tool name, Year in which AI output created. Name of Publisher of Article, URL.

Caption Example:

Figure 1: Bakare, Lanre. An AI-generated band got 1m plays on Spotify. Now music insiders say listeners should be warned. Created by Andrew Frelon, Suno, 2025. The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jul/14/an-ai-generated-band-got-1m-plays-on-spotify-now-music-insiders-say-listeners-should-be-warned