The study examined first-year students’ reliance on AI tools and their relationship with their comprehension and writing skills, addressing a gap in research on how AI affects students transitioning to higher education. Using a quantitative approach with surveys, comprehension assessments, and writing tests analyzed via SPSS, the study measured AI usage, reading comprehension, and writing skills. Students were moderately reliant on AI tools for gadgets (49.6%) and Wi-Fi (73.4%), but less so for app subscriptions. Moderate reliance was observed in both reading (mean = 2.88) and writing (mean = 2.89). Students demonstrated good to excellent reading comprehension and adequate writing skills (mean = 3.03). AI reliance showed a very weak correlation with comprehension and a moderate positive correlation with writing skills. AI use did not significantly affect reading comprehension but moderately influenced writing skill development. The study recommends guided AI use, training workshops, reflective exercises, and further exploration of AI applications to enhance the students’ writing skills and not overly reliant on AI tools.