What does it actually mean to cite generative AI (GenAI) tools—both in an instrumental, information retrieval sense, and in a symbolic sense that has more to do with recognition? What does it mean that GenAI tools are also able to produce plausible-looking yet false citations? This presentation will critically examine two sets of examples related to GenAI and contemporary citation practices: (1) the existing citation guidance to GenAI output as articulated by the major style guides, and (2) the issue of “hallucinated”/fabricated citations produced by GenAI tools. The presenter will share takeaways from his recent scholarly work related to questions of GenAI citation and citational justice, using ideas from Robert Merton, Eugene Garfield, Emily Bender, and Sam Popowich to show that the issues brought to the fore by GenAI and citation could present a pedagogical opportunity to radically reimagine library instruction around the importance of attribution and relationality in academic work if we so chose.
