Rulloda, Hannalae Sheena V.Acdol, Kyla Anne I.Bravo, Camille D.Dutong, Mary Cris D.Villanueva, Ferlene Mae G.2025-09-192025-09-192023-05Rulloda, H. S. V., Acdol, K. A. I., Bravo, C. D., Dutong, M. C. D., & Villanueva, F. M. G. (2023) Promises and pitfalls: Unraveling the paradox of AI-powered writing tools in writing academic essays [Unpublished Undergraduate thesis]. Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University - South La Union Campus, Agoo, La Union.https://lakasa.dmmmsu.edu.ph/handle/123456789/431Full text.This descriptive phenomenological study explored and described the lived experiences of eleven pre-service teachers. It employed purposeful sampling with a set criterion and snowball sampling in selecting participants and interviews to gather data. This study yielded three themes: paper-perfect, promises, and pitfalls. The study revealed that AI-powered writing tools were mainly used for academic essays such as research, reflection papers, article digests, and essays. The paradox of AI-powered writing tools arose between the promises (advantages) and the pitfalls (disadvantages). The study revealed that students use AI-powered writing tools because of their various advantages. However, despite their promises, they also experience drawbacks in using AI-powered writing tools.en-US