Daily TEA – AI Traffic Wars, Crypto Listings, and Workplace Shifts

Gemini surge, China review, AI at work, Ledger IPO, TikTok privacy

Hello, dear TEA-mates—here’s what you need to know today.

1.🤖 ChatGPT’s Lead Narrows as Gemini Gains Ground

ChatGPT’s share of global generative AI website traffic has fallen to 64.6% as of January 16, 2026, down from 86.6% a year earlier, as Google’s Gemini has climbed to 22% from 5.3% over the same period. Grok has overtaken DeepSeek for the first time with 3.5% of traffic versus 3.3%, while Claude holds 2.1%, Perplexity has slipped to 1.9%, and Microsoft’s Copilot has declined to 1.1%. Similarweb’s data highlight how Google’s deep integration of Gemini into Search, Gmail, Workspace, Android, and a new Apple Intelligence partnership is reshaping distribution, even as ChatGPT still drives far more referral traffic to external sites. Read More. (PPC Land)​

🫖 TEA For Thought: Google’s existing ecosystem gives Gemini a distribution edge that is extremely hard for competitors to match.

2.🏛️ China Tightens Review of Meta AI Deal

Chinese regulators have deepened their security review of a landmark licensing deal that would allow Meta to use Chinese AI technology, amid concerns that a US company could gain control over sensitive Chinese AI models and data. The arrangement, involving leading Chinese AI developer Beijing Meta Data and its model provision to Meta, has drawn scrutiny from officials who frame the agreement as a potential national security and data-sovereignty risk. The move underscores how cross-border AI partnerships are increasingly being viewed through a geopolitical and regulatory lens rather than purely commercial terms. Read More. (Yahoo Finance)​

🫖 TEA For Thought: It is disappointing to see this deal become more political, but it underscores how much AI is now about control and leverage for the CCP-led Chinese state.

3.📊 Leaders Outpace Employees in Workplace AI Use

Gallup data show that while overall AI adoption at work has leveled off, frequent use continues to rise, with 26% of U.S. employees now using AI at least a few times a week and 12% using it daily. Leaders are significantly ahead of others: in Q4 2025, 69% of leaders reported using AI at least a few times a year, compared with 55% of managers and 40% of individual contributors, and frequent use among leaders has climbed to 44% versus 30% for managers and 23% for individual contributors. AI use is most common in knowledge-based, remote-capable roles and in sectors like technology, finance, and higher education, while adoption remains lower in retail, manufacturing, and frontline service roles. Read More. (Gallup)​

🫖 TEA For Thought: Leaders’ decision-making work maps neatly onto AI as a thought partner, while employees face more nuanced, context-heavy use cases that are harder to standardize.

4.💰 Ledger Targets a $4bn New York Listing

Crypto hardware wallet maker Ledger is preparing a New York IPO that would value the company at around $4bn, in a move that would bring one of the best-known crypto security brands to public markets. The planned listing signals renewed confidence in crypto infrastructure businesses after a period of market turbulence and follows growing institutional interest in secure custody solutions. Ledger’s debut would add to a small but expanding cohort of crypto-native companies seeking long-term capital and legitimacy via U.S. public exchanges. Read More. (Financial Times)

🫖 TEA For Thought: Ledger joining the public markets suggests more established crypto infrastructure players are ready to step onto the global stage.

5.📱 TikTok’s New Privacy Policy Sparks Fresh Concerns

TikTok has rolled out a new privacy policy that expands how it can collect and use data, including more detailed behavioral, device, and location information tied to content and interactions on the platform. The policy gives TikTok broader latitude to share user data with business partners and to use it for algorithmic optimization, prompting renewed scrutiny from privacy advocates and policymakers. The changes land against a backdrop of ongoing political debate in the U.S. about TikTok’s ownership structure and lingering concerns over potential influence from its China-linked stakeholders. Read More. (Wired)

🫖 TEA For Thought: If this policy shift does not alarm TikTok users, it is hard to see what will—especially given that the “US-owned” TikTok still has a significant stake held by CCP-linked Chinese companies.

Prompt Tip of the Day: The Done Is Enough Prompt

👉 Prompt:

Define what good enough looks like for this task.
Not perfect.
Just acceptable.
Task: [describe task]

💡 Example: Saved hours of polishing that did not matter.

TEAHEE Moment

Stay sharp, stay informed. See you tomorrow.

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