How to Use AI Usage Cards in Overleaf

Why Overleaf

Most researchers writing in LaTeX today use Overleaf. It handles compilation, package management, and collaboration in the browser, which means you do not need to worry about installing .sty files or resolving package dependencies on your local machine. The AI Usage Cards Overleaf template gives you a ready-to-edit starting point that you can either use as a standalone document or copy into your existing paper project.

Opening the Template

The AI Usage Cards template is available in the Overleaf template gallery. Click the link below to open it.

Open the AI Usage Cards Template on Overleaf

When you click "Open as Template," Overleaf creates a copy in your account. You can rename the project, edit freely, and share it with collaborators. The original template stays unchanged.

The template compiles immediately. You should see a formatted AI Usage Card in the PDF preview on the right side of the screen. The card contains placeholder text that you will replace with your own project details.

Copying the Card into an Existing Project

If you already have a paper in progress on Overleaf, you probably want to add the AI Usage Card to that project rather than working in a separate document. Here is how.

Option A. Copy the .sty file and the card code.

1. Open the AI Usage Cards template project.
2. Find the file ai-usage-card.sty in the file tree on the left. Click the three-dot menu next to it and select "Download."
3. Go to your paper project. Click the upload button in the file tree and upload ai-usage-card.sty.
4. Add \usepackage{ai-usage-card} to your preamble.
5. Copy the \begin{aicard}...\end{aicard} block from the template's main.tex into your paper, typically in an appendix section.

Option B. Download the .sty file directly.

If you do not want to open the template project at all, you can download the package file from this direct link and upload it to your Overleaf project.

Either way, once the .sty file is in your project and loaded with \usepackage, you have access to all the card commands.

Walking Through Each Section

The AI Usage Card has four main sections. Here is what to fill in for each one, with guidance on common choices.

Project Details and Tools

The card opens with your paper title and author list, followed by the tools you used.

\begin{aicard}{Your Paper Title Goes Here}
 
\aicardauthors{Alice Johnson, University of Helsinki;
Bob Martinez, ETH Zurich}
 
\aicardtools{
  \aitool{ChatGPT}{GPT-4o, OpenAI}{Web interface}{Nov 2025--Feb 2026}
  \aitool{GitHub Copilot}{v1.138, OpenAI Codex}{VS Code}{Dec 2025--Feb 2026}
}

Each \aitool entry takes four pieces of information. The tool name, the model or version, how you accessed it, and the time period you used it. Be as specific as you can about versions. AI models change frequently, and reviewers may want to know exactly which version produced the outputs you describe.

Methodology and Experiments

This section captures any AI involvement in the research process itself, not just the writing.

\aicardmethodology{
  GitHub Copilot was used to assist with writing Python
  scripts for data cleaning and feature extraction
  (Section 3.2). All generated code was reviewed by the
  first author, tested with unit tests, and modified
  where necessary. The experimental design, model
  selection, and evaluation protocol were developed by
  the authors without AI assistance.
}

If AI tools played no role in your methodology, say so clearly. A brief statement like "AI tools were not used in the research methodology or experimental design" is perfectly appropriate. Leaving the section empty is less helpful because it leaves readers guessing.

Writing and Presentation

This is where most researchers will have the most to say. Document any AI help with drafting, editing, translating, creating figures, or preparing presentations.

\aicardwriting{
  ChatGPT (GPT-4o) was used in two ways. First, the
  second author used it to translate an initial draft
  of Section 2 from Spanish to English. The translation
  was then revised by both authors for technical accuracy
  and natural phrasing. Second, ChatGPT was used to
  suggest improvements to sentence structure throughout
  the manuscript. Approximately half of the suggestions
  were accepted. All scientific claims, data
  interpretations, and conclusions are the authors' own.
}

Be specific about which sections were affected and what percentage of suggestions you accepted. Vague statements like "AI was used for editing" do not give reviewers enough context.

Ethics and Limitations

The final section asks you to reflect on privacy, bias, and the limitations that AI usage introduces.

\aicardethics{
  No personally identifiable information or sensitive
  research data was submitted to any AI service. The
  authors note that ChatGPT's training data may contain
  biases that could subtly influence word choices in
  translated text, and they reviewed the translation
  with this in mind. All factual claims in the manuscript
  were verified against primary sources.
}
 
\end{aicard}

Think about what data you sent to AI services and whether those services retain it. Consider whether the AI outputs could introduce biases that affect your findings or presentation. Even if the risks are low, acknowledging them shows thoughtful engagement with the ethical dimensions of AI-assisted research.

Customizing the Card for Your Venue

Different conferences and journals have different formatting requirements. The AI Usage Card template is designed to work with most common document classes.

ACM, IEEE, NeurIPS, and similar templates. Load the ai-usage-card package after the document class. If you get a color option clash, use the noxcolor option.

\documentclass{acmart}
\usepackage[noxcolor]{ai-usage-card}

Two-column layouts. The card is wide enough that it looks best spanning both columns. Use \onecolumn before the card section or wrap the card in a figure* environment.

\onecolumn
\appendix
\section{AI Usage Card}
\begin{aicard}{Your Title}
  % card contents
\end{aicard}

Placement. The most common placement is as an appendix at the end of the paper. Some authors place it right after the acknowledgments section. Choose the location that your venue's style guide suggests for supplementary declarations. For a detailed discussion of placement options with code examples, see our LaTeX tutorial.

Tips for Collaborative Editing

When multiple authors contribute to a paper, the AI Usage Card should reflect everyone's AI usage, not just the lead author's. Here are some practical tips for getting this right in an Overleaf collaboration.

Assign one person to own the card. Decide early in the project who will be responsible for maintaining the AI Usage Card. This person collects information from all co-authors and keeps the card up to date. This avoids conflicting edits and ensures consistency.

Use Overleaf comments to flag AI usage as you go. When a co-author uses an AI tool for a specific task, they can add an Overleaf comment near the affected text noting which tool was used and how. The card owner can then compile these notes into the final card before submission.

Fill it in incrementally, not at the last minute. It is much easier to document AI usage while the details are fresh. If you wait until the paper is finished, you will forget specifics about which version of a tool you used or exactly how many suggestions you accepted. Start the card early and update it as the project progresses.

Be honest about different levels of usage. In a team of five authors, one person may have used AI extensively while others did not use it at all. The card should reflect this accurately. There is no need to generalize everyone's usage into a single vague statement.

Quick Alternative for Non-LaTeX Users

If some of your collaborators do not use LaTeX, or if you need a card quickly without dealing with package files, the online generator at ai-cards.org produces the same standardized format through a web interface. You fill in the four sections through a guided form, and the tool generates a PDF you can attach to your submission as a supplementary file. It takes about ten minutes and requires no account.

This is also a good fallback if you run into package compatibility issues that are difficult to resolve. Generate the card online, download the PDF, and include it in your LaTeX project with \includepdf.

\usepackage{pdfpages}
\appendix
\section{AI Usage Card}
\includepdf[pages=-]{ai-usage-card.pdf}

Next Steps

For a complete reference of all package commands and options, including how to handle multiple tools, float placement, and common error fixes, see the LaTeX tutorial. To see what finished AI Usage Cards look like across different research scenarios, check out our examples page. And if you are new to the concept, What Are AI Usage Cards? explains the framework and why it was created.