AI Breakout: January 2026
AI adoption is professionalizing, with explosive movement in niche workflows
Updated October 7, 2026 · Changelog
#1ChatGPT holds the top spot
+4OpenAI, the biggest climberSource: Torii Research, anonymized and aggregated usage data. Published January 3, 2026. Summary figures computed from the 30 apps in this report.
What kinds of apps
Every edition, by theme →Share of the 30 apps in this edition, by theme. Each app has one theme, assigned by Torii Research from what the product does; AI marks the AI themes. Select a theme to filter the list below. How themes work.
Top of the index
Ranked by usage among AI apps. Rank change compares with the previous published edition.
All 30 apps
Productivity
ChatGPT
ChatGPT helps you get answers, find inspiration and be more productive. It is free to use and…
About ChatGPT
ChatGPT helps you get answers, find inspiration and be more productive. It is free to use and easy to try. Just ask and ChatGPT can help with writing, learning, brainstorming and more.
Theme: AI assistants · AI-native
Vendor claims: SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR
Productivity
OpenAI
OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company that conducts research and implements machine…
About OpenAI
OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company that conducts research and implements machine learning, known for creating powerful models like GPT-3 and GPT-4, which generate human-like text and are used in various applications.
Theme: AI assistants · AI-native
Vendor claims: SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR
Productivity
Claude AI
Claude is a next-generation AI assistant capable of a wide variety of conversational and…
About Claude AI
Claude is a next-generation AI assistant capable of a wide variety of conversational and text-processing tasks while maintaining a high degree of reliability and predictability.
Theme: AI assistants · AI-native
Vendor claims: SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR
Developer Tools
Cursor AI
Cursor is an AI Code Editor.
About Cursor AI
Cursor is an AI Code Editor.
Theme: AI coding and building · AI-native
Vendor claims: SOC 2, GDPR
Productivity
Grammarly
Grammarly is an English language writing-enhancement platform. Grammarly's proofreading and…
About Grammarly
Grammarly is an English language writing-enhancement platform. Grammarly's proofreading and plagiarism-detection resources check for a writer's adherence to more than 250 grammar rules. Grammarly's free writing app ensures that everything you type is easy to read, effective, and mistake-free.
Theme: AI content and media · AI-native
Vendor claims: SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR
Sales & Marketing
Gong
Gong helps B2B sales teams sell and coach better by recording, transcribing, and analyzing…
About Gong
Gong helps B2B sales teams sell and coach better by recording, transcribing, and analyzing their calls; demos using AI powered conversation intelligence technology.
Theme: Sales, marketing, and CX
Vendor claims: SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR
Developer Tools
Google Antigravity
An AI-enhanced Integrated Development Environment for software developers.
About Google Antigravity
An AI-enhanced Integrated Development Environment for software developers.
Theme: AI coding and building · AI-native
Vendor claims: SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR
IT & Security
Zapier
Zapier is a web-based service that allows end users to integrate the web applications they use.…
About Zapier
Zapier is a web-based service that allows end users to integrate the web applications they use. Zapier lets users easily connect the web apps they use, making it easy to automate tedious tasks.
Theme: Ops, HR, and finance
Vendor claims: SOC 2, GDPR
Productivity
NotebookLM
An advanced AI research assistant powered by Gemini 2.0.
About NotebookLM
An advanced AI research assistant powered by Gemini 2.0.
Theme: AI assistants · AI-native
Vendor claims: SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR
Developer Tools
Google AI Studio
A platform that allows developers to integrate and build applications using AI models from…
About Google AI Studio
A platform that allows developers to integrate and build applications using AI models from Google DeepMind, particularly the Gemini series, via an API.
Theme: AI coding and building · AI-native
Vendor claims: SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR
Developer Tools
Gemini Code Assist
Enhances coding efficiency by integrating AI-driven assistance directly into popular IDEs,…
About Gemini Code Assist
Enhances coding efficiency by integrating AI-driven assistance directly into popular IDEs, offering automatic code completions and responsive chat capabilities for streamlined development tasks.
Theme: AI coding and building · AI-native
Vendor claims: ISO 27001
Sales & Marketing
Gamma App
Gamma is a platform for creating presentations, documents, and websites without design or…
About Gamma App
Gamma is a platform for creating presentations, documents, and websites without design or coding skills. It uses AI to assist in generating and refining content, applying professional designs, and integrating multimedia.
Theme: AI content and media · AI-native
Vendor claims: SOC 2
Analytics & BI
Perplexity AI
Perplexity is a research assistant for your curiosity that lets you ask questions or get…
About Perplexity AI
Perplexity is a research assistant for your curiosity that lets you ask questions or get instant summaries while you browse the internet.
Theme: AI assistants · AI-native
Vendor claims: none listed
Productivity
Granola
Granola transcribes your meetings and formats notes automatically, integrates with GPT-4 for…
About Granola
Granola transcribes your meetings and formats notes automatically, integrates with GPT-4 for post-meeting actions, and works on all platforms.
Theme: AI notes and voice · AI-native
Vendor claims: GDPR
Productivity
Grok
An AI assistant that delivers unfiltered, real-time insights by combining advanced reasoning,…
About Grok
An AI assistant that delivers unfiltered, real-time insights by combining advanced reasoning, coding support, document summarization, image generation, and integrated web search.
Theme: AI assistants · AI-native
Vendor claims: GDPR
Operations
Read AI
Read AI improves meeting wellness through better scheduling, real-time analytics, summaries,…
About Read AI
Read AI improves meeting wellness through better scheduling, real-time analytics, summaries, transcription, playback, and automated recommendations.
Theme: AI notes and voice · AI-native
Vendor claims: SOC 2
Project Management
ClickUp
ClickUp's productivity software is making more productive projects with a beautifully designed…
About ClickUp
ClickUp's productivity software is making more productive projects with a beautifully designed and intuitive platform.
Theme: Work suites and collaboration
Vendor claims: SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR
Human Resource
Juicebox AI
Enhances recruitment processes by utilizing AI to identify ideal candidates, streamline…
About Juicebox AI
Enhances recruitment processes by utilizing AI to identify ideal candidates, streamline outreach efforts, and manage talent relationships effectively.
Theme: Ops, HR, and finance · AI-native
Vendor claims: SOC 2, GDPR
Sales & Marketing
Fireflies.ai
Fireflies automates data entry for sales reps by capturing notes & next steps inside your CRM…
About Fireflies.ai
Fireflies automates data entry for sales reps by capturing notes & next steps inside your CRM after each call.
Theme: AI notes and voice · AI-native
Vendor claims: SOC 2, GDPR
Productivity
ChatGPT Atlas
An AI-powered web browser developed by OpenAI that seamlessly integrates ChatGPT into the…
About ChatGPT Atlas
An AI-powered web browser developed by OpenAI that seamlessly integrates ChatGPT into the browsing experience.
Theme: Browsers and search · AI-native
Vendor claims: SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR
Analytics & BI
Chatly AI
Integrates various AI models into one cohesive platform to offer users insightful analysis and…
About Chatly AI
Integrates various AI models into one cohesive platform to offer users insightful analysis and robust support across multiple tasks.
Theme: AI assistants · AI-native
Vendor claims: none listed
Operations
n8n
n8n is a secure and AI-native workflow automation tool. It allows technical users to insert…
About n8n
n8n is a secure and AI-native workflow automation tool. It allows technical users to insert code when needed and offers full source code and self-hosting options.
Theme: AI agents · AI-native
Vendor claims: GDPR
Developer Tools
Base44
An AI-powered platform that allows users to build fully functioning apps quickly without…
About Base44
An AI-powered platform that allows users to build fully functioning apps quickly without coding, simplifying the development process and reducing costs.
Theme: AI coding and building · AI-native
Vendor claims: none listed
Operations
ElevenLabs
ElevenLabs is an AI speech tool.
About ElevenLabs
ElevenLabs is an AI speech tool.
Theme: AI content and media · AI-native
Vendor claims: SOC 2, GDPR
Developer Tools
Kiro
Transforms AI coding with structured, spec-driven development, converting prompts into…
About Kiro
Transforms AI coding with structured, spec-driven development, converting prompts into actionable requirements, system designs, and tasks while automating with AI agents for enhanced productivity.
Theme: AI coding and building · AI-native
Vendor claims: SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR
Productivity
Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft Copilot is an AI-powered tool integrated into Microsoft 365 applications like Word,…
About Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft Copilot is an AI-powered tool integrated into Microsoft 365 applications like Word, Excel, and Teams. It enhances productivity by automating tasks such as content generation, data analysis, and summarization, leveraging advanced AI capabilities from models like GPT-4.
Theme: AI assistants · AI-native
Vendor claims: SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR
Developer Tools
Warp.dev
Warp is a modern, Rust-based terminal with AI designed to make teams productive at coding and…
About Warp.dev
Warp is a modern, Rust-based terminal with AI designed to make teams productive at coding and application development.
Theme: AI coding and building · AI-native
Vendor claims: SOC 2
Productivity
Notion Mail
An AI-powered email client that integrates the familiar Notion-style interface with advanced…
About Notion Mail
An AI-powered email client that integrates the familiar Notion-style interface with advanced automation, filtering, and personalization features.
Theme: Personal productivity · AI-native
Vendor claims: SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR
Productivity
DeepSeek
Advanced large language models (LLMs).
About DeepSeek
Advanced large language models (LLMs).
Theme: AI assistants · AI-native
Vendor claims: none listed
Developer Tools
ollama
Enables users to execute various large language models such as Llama 3.3 and Mistral locally…
About ollama
Enables users to execute various large language models such as Llama 3.3 and Mistral locally across different operating systems while facilitating seamless integration and exploration of AI capabilities.
Theme: AI coding and building · AI-native
Vendor claims: none listed
Source: Torii Research, anonymized and aggregated usage data. Published January 3, 2026. Summary figures computed from the 30 apps in this report.
What the data says
This month’s most aggressive movement is concentrated in specialized AI workflows, signaling a shift from general-purpose chat to targeted productivity. Juicebox AI is the new shadow IT leader with a 0.75 `Normalized Shadow IT Index`, confirming the explosive rise of AI recruitment tools. Google Antigravity closely follows with a 0.68 index, demonstrating high usage in the developer community.
Other high-end apps saw massive spikes in adoption, pointing to a developer focus on high-leverage tools: * Chatly AI (+10) saw the biggest jump as a top-tier `AI Agent`. * Base44 (+7) surged in `Rapid Application Development`. * DeepSeek (+7) continued its ascent, driven by demanding `LLM` use cases.
The data
Show the full data table (30 rows)
| Rank | App | Category | Theme | AI-native | Rank change | Shadow IT index | SOC 2 claimed | ISO 27001 claimed | GDPR claimed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ChatGPT | Productivity | AI assistants | Yes | Same | 32 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2 | OpenAI | Productivity | AI assistants | Yes | +4 | 36 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 3 | Claude AI | Productivity | AI assistants | Yes | -1 | 46 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 4 | Cursor AI | Developer Tools | AI coding and building | Yes | +1 | 30 | Yes | No | Yes |
| 5 | Grammarly | Productivity | AI content and media | Yes | -1 | 36 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 6 | Gong | Sales & Marketing | Sales, marketing, and CX | No | New | 21 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 7 | Google Antigravity | Developer Tools | AI coding and building | Yes | -4 | 68 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 8 | Zapier | IT & Security | Ops, HR, and finance | No | -1 | 37 | Yes | No | Yes |
| 9 | NotebookLM | Productivity | AI assistants | Yes | -1 | 45 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 10 | Google AI Studio | Developer Tools | AI coding and building | Yes | Same | 59 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 11 | Gemini Code Assist | Developer Tools | AI coding and building | Yes | +2 | 59 | No | Yes | No |
| 12 | Gamma App | Sales & Marketing | AI content and media | Yes | -3 | 64 | Yes | No | No |
| 13 | Perplexity AI | Analytics & BI | AI assistants | Yes | -1 | 59 | No | No | No |
| 14 | Granola | Productivity | AI notes and voice | Yes | +2 | 57 | No | No | Yes |
| 15 | Grok | Productivity | AI assistants | Yes | Same | 66 | No | No | Yes |
| 16 | Read AI | Operations | AI notes and voice | Yes | New | 61 | Yes | No | No |
| 17 | ClickUp | Project Management | Work suites and collaboration | No | Same | 50 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 18 | Juicebox AI | Human Resource | Ops, HR, and finance | Yes | New | 75 | Yes | No | Yes |
| 19 | Fireflies.ai | Sales & Marketing | AI notes and voice | Yes | -5 | 59 | Yes | No | Yes |
| 20 | ChatGPT Atlas | Productivity | Browsers and search | Yes | -9 | 68 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 21 | Chatly AI | Analytics & BI | AI assistants | Yes | New | 64 | No | No | No |
| 22 | n8n | Operations | AI agents | Yes | -4 | 43 | No | No | Yes |
| 23 | Base44 | Developer Tools | AI coding and building | Yes | New | 55 | No | No | No |
| 24 | ElevenLabs | Operations | AI content and media | Yes | -5 | 54 | Yes | No | Yes |
| 25 | Kiro | Developer Tools | AI coding and building | Yes | New | 66 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 26 | Microsoft Copilot | Productivity | AI assistants | Yes | -6 | 52 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 27 | Warp.dev | Developer Tools | AI coding and building | Yes | New | 57 | Yes | No | No |
| 28 | Notion Mail | Productivity | Personal productivity | Yes | New | 54 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 29 | DeepSeek | Productivity | AI assistants | Yes | New | 55 | No | No | No |
| 30 | ollama | Developer Tools | AI coding and building | Yes | New | 59 | No | No | No |
Free to quote with attribution to Torii Research and a link to this page. A plain-text version is at ai-breakout-january-2026.md.
How to read this index
- Rank
- Position by real usage among AI-driven apps in this edition.
- Rank change
- Places gained or lost versus the previous published edition. New marks an app that was not in that edition.
- Shadow IT index
- How often the app is left unsanctioned, 0 to 100.
Definitions in the glossary; formulas and limitations on the Methodology page.
Changelog
- CorrectionRecalculated rank changes against December 2025.
- UpdateMoved from toriiresearch.com; title standardized.
