This study explores the use and perception of AI-powered language tools (AILTs) by university students in Sweden, focusing on their impact on academic communication and learning. Using a post-humanist lens and thematic analysis of over 1700 open-ended comments from a nationwide student survey, the research reveals that AILTs are integral to students' academic writing, enhancing their communicative performance and personal language development. Students view AILTs as part of their spatial repertoire, enabling them to engage in academic communication more effectively. The study highlights the emergence of a new identity among students as "spatially advised learners," who use AILTs to assert their agency in language development and subject knowledge while maintaining critical perspectives on AI limitations. Additionally, the findings suggest divergent student viewpoints on the ethical concerns of AILTs in assessment, particularly regarding the absence of clear university instructions. The study provides insights for university policymakers and educators to develop teaching and assessment methods that align with students' stances and needs in AI-mediated academic communication.This study explores the use and perception of AI-powered language tools (AILTs) by university students in Sweden, focusing on their impact on academic communication and learning. Using a post-humanist lens and thematic analysis of over 1700 open-ended comments from a nationwide student survey, the research reveals that AILTs are integral to students' academic writing, enhancing their communicative performance and personal language development. Students view AILTs as part of their spatial repertoire, enabling them to engage in academic communication more effectively. The study highlights the emergence of a new identity among students as "spatially advised learners," who use AILTs to assert their agency in language development and subject knowledge while maintaining critical perspectives on AI limitations. Additionally, the findings suggest divergent student viewpoints on the ethical concerns of AILTs in assessment, particularly regarding the absence of clear university instructions. The study provides insights for university policymakers and educators to develop teaching and assessment methods that align with students' stances and needs in AI-mediated academic communication.