How to cite artificial intelligence (AI)?

Citation is a fundamental element of academic and scientific work, allowing proper attribution of sources, avoiding plagiarism, ensuring transparency, and respecting intellectual property. Additionally, it enables readers to verify the provided information.

Citing AI in Vancouver style

Currently, there is no universally accepted standard for citing artificial intelligence (AI) systems, such as ChatGPT (OpenAI) or Gemini (Google), in the Vancouver format. However, as the use of AI in research and academia grows, various institutions and journals have begun providing citation recommendations.

Recommended AI citation method

If you are citing a specific AI-generated response or text, you may include an in-text reference, while some authors also add an explanatory note, for example:

• “…as noted by ChatGPT (OpenAI, 2023)…”
• “In response to the question, OpenAI ChatGPT provided the following answer…”

In the reference list, specify which AI tool was used:

• Example for ChatGPT:
  OpenAI. ChatGPT [Internet]. San Francisco (CA): OpenAI; 2023 [cited 2025 Apr 22]. Available from: https://chat.openai.com/
• Example for Gemini:
  Google. Gemini [Internet]. Mountain View (CA): Google; 2024 [cited 2025 Apr 22]. Available from: https://gemini.google.com/

Key Citation Elements:

• Author: If no individual author is listed, use the organization’s name (e.g., OpenAI, Google).
• Title: The name of the AI tool (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini).
• Place of publication and publisher: If known, include the company’s location and name.
• Date: First, the release year of the tool, followed by the access date ([cited …]).
• URL/Access link: It is essential to provide the exact source (typically the official website or platform where the tool was used).

Using Citation Tools

If you use RefWorks or another citation manager tool, you can manually add the AI source by selecting the Web Page source type and updating the necessary fields.