The rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in higher education has transformed the ways students access information and undertake academic activities. This study examines the adoption and usage patterns of artificial intelligence (AI) tools among college students at KL University, Vijayawada, with particular attention to ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot. A quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional research design was employed using 132 usable student responses obtained through convenience sampling. Data were analysed using frequencies, percentages, and descriptive cross-tabulations to examine demographic and academic characteristics, AI-tool selection, and frequency of use. The findings show that ChatGPT was the most widely reported AI tool, used by 95.5% of respondents, followed by Google Gemini (43.2%), other AI tools (34.1%), and Microsoft Copilot (9.1%). Overall, 72.7% of respondents reported using AI tools often or very often for academic purposes. A descriptive comparison indicated higher frequent use among female respondents (80.0%) than male respondents (57.1%). The sample was predominantly composed of students aged 18–20 years, females, BBA students, and third-year students. The findings establish that AI use is widespread and relatively frequent within the surveyed sample. However, the available dataset does not contain the academic-outcome measures required to determine whether AI use improves or reduces academic performance. The study therefore focuses on AI adoption and usage behaviour rather than causal academic effects and highlights the need for future research combining AI-use measures with reliable academic-performance indicators.