APA Style has provided new guidance on the following:
Reference formats that reflect advances in technology
Using AI as a search engine
Whether AI is "allowed"
(Links to these articles are included at the bottom of this page)
Links to specific AI chats are now available
Having these links makes the chats able to be retrieved and thus citable
APA Style recommends that you cite the chat, not just the tool
Cite the chat when it is helpful to readers
Because AI is not human, it cannot be an author
Instead, the author is the AI company name (e.g. Open AI for ChatGPT)
Include (or retain) records of AI prompts and present as is helpful to readers
Examples for Citing a Specific AI Chat
Template:
AI Company Name. (year, month day). Title of chat in italics. [Description, such as Generative AI chat]. Tool Name/Model. URL of the chat
Parenthetical citation: (AI Company Name, year)
Narrative citation: AI Company Name (year)
Specific Example:
Google. (2025, May 22). High school grammar concepts overview. [Generative AI chat]. Gemini 2.5 Flash. https://g.co/gemini/share/a1306ce12929
Parenthetical citation: (Google, 2025)
Narrative citation: Google (2025)
Used as a search engine
Like using databases (PsycInfo, EBSCOhost, PubMed, etc.)
Like using typical search engines (Google Scholar, etc.)
Within common software
Microsoft Office, Google Docs
Spell-check
Basic editing, word suggestions, etc.
When the search strategy is important and is described:
Literature reviews
Metasyntheses
Meta-analyses
Cite/describe AI use in the Method section, author note, or where appropriate
Use more than just AI to find sources (e.g., AI and library database search)
Take responsibility for your work
Even if an AI tool finds and /or summarizes sources for you, you must read them yourself
Review the work carefully and check it for accuracy
Cite the source (e.g., article), not how you found it
Be aware of confidentiality and refrain from citing chats that contain sensitive or confidential information
Best practice is to follow any policies laid out by the university and/or professor
Remember that you are responsible for your own work
AI cannot be an author or a peer reviewer
AI does make mistakes and will generate information/references that are not real
Think about ethical concerns
Bias and misinformation
Confidentiality
Copyright
Do not use AI to generate your entire paper
Researching and writing a paper is part of the learning process
Use AI tools to help develop your abilities, not to do the work for you
Possible uses for AI:
Searching for information
Brainstorming ideas
Analyzing or summarizing text
Generating tables or figures
Editing or proofreading
Citing Generative AI in APA Style: Part I - Reference Formats
Citing Generative AI in APA Style: Part 3 - Is AI "Allowed" in APA Style?
For more information, visit the APA Style website
References:
McAdoo, T., Denneny, S., & Lee, C. (2025, September 9). Citing generative AI in APA Style: Part 1— Reference formats. APA Style. https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/cite-generative-ai-references
McAdoo, T., Denneny, S., & Lee, C. (2025, September 9). Citing generative AI in APA Style: Part 3— Is AI “allowed” in APA Style? APA Style. https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/cite-generative-ai-allowed
Booklist and AL Webinar: Addressing Research and Writing Challenges With the APA Style Manual