This study conducted a two-stage survey to examine Chinese college students’ usage, evaluation, perceptions, and attitudes toward generative AI tools in EFL writing. In the interview stage, eight typical usages of AI tools were identified: four categorized as language assistance functions and four as content generation functions. Additionally, four main benefits and four primary concerns were recognized. In the questionnaire stage, data from a nationwide sample of Chinese college students (N = 340) was collected and analyzed. The results revealed that students generally prefer using AI tools for language assistance, particularly for translation and grammar checking, over for content generation. While students rated the score of agreement for most benefits of AI tools highly, the relatively lower score for ‘promoting personal English skills’ underscored the need for educators to better integrate AI tools into English learning frameworks. Concerns about over-reliance and the potential deterioration of independent writing skills were also prominent. The overall attitude of Chinese college students toward using AI to assist English writing was positive. These findings provide valuable insights into how Chinese students use and perceive AI tools in academic English writing and offer guidance for educators on promoting their proper and effective use.