MLA 9th Referencing Style - Generative AI images

Here you can find MLA 9th referencing style for generative AI images.

It is important to include appropriate acknowledgement of images used in your assessments whether that be in a report, visual essay, PowerPoint presentation, video or other form of work. Images you create yourself (without the use of AI) generally do not need a reference. Images you create with generative AI should generally have a caption citation and may also be included in a reference list/bibliography. Check with your course convenor or assessment brief for specific requirements in your assessments. 

This guide also covers non-AI generated images to illustrate the differences. Recommendations for how to reference AI-generated content may change in the future as referencing style manuals are updated.

In-text citation

You can refer to images in your text with the figure number, such as "… see fig. 1" or "… (fig. 1)".  

Captions (non-AI generated)

MLA has 2 versions of captions for images, one with full bibliographic details, one shorter version. The full bibliographic details version uses semicolons, the short version has commas. More information is available on the MLA Style website.

Rule (Full bibliographic details)
Fig. Number. Artist; Title; Year; Location, Year Viewed; format. 

Example (full)
Fig. 4. Vincent van Gogh; The Olive Trees; 1889; Museum of Modern Art, 2001; postcard.

Example (short)
Fig. 5. Mary Cassatt, Mother and Child, Wichita Art Museum. 

If you have modified the image, add ‘Adapted from’ to the start of the caption. More information is available on the MLA Style website. MLA does not specify additional information to include if the image was modified with AI. If you are using MLA with a Gen-AI modified image, speak to your course convenor or consult the assessment brief to determine the course expectations.

Example (painting)
Fig. 6. Adapted from Berthe Morisot; Reading; 1873; The Cleveland Museum of Art, www.clevelandart.org/art/1950.89.

Reference list

Rule
Artist. Title. Year. Location. 
* Location could be a physical location if you viewed the image in person. If you viewed the image online, provide the name of the website containing the image and the URL image. More information is available on the MLA Style website. 
 
Example of image accessed online (location is Website name):
Bearden, Romare. The Train. 1975. MOMA, www.moma.org/collection/works/65232?locale=en. 

Example of sourced generative AI image
Fig. 1. Megavectors; Abstract art design. Fairy tale fantasy illustration. Fantasy world; n.d.; Adobe Stock,  https://stock.adobe.com/au/images/abstract-art-design-fairy-tale-fantas…; Gen AI Image. 

Caption (your own generative AI image citation)

MLA specifies providing a title based on the prompt, A.I. tool used, its version, its provider, the creation date, URL of tool. More information is available on the MLA Style website.

Example 1
 
Fig. 1. “Pointillist painting of a sheep in a sunny field of blue flowers” prompt, DALL-E, version 2, OpenAI, 8 Mar. 2023, labs.openai.com.

Example 2
 
Fig. 1. “house in magical world” prompt, Firefly, Image 3, Adobe, 28 Apr. 2024, https://firefly.adobe.com.

More information

MLA style website