TikTok is an AI app. Not an “ask a bot to do your homework” kind of AI app, but an AI app all the same: Its algorithm processes and acts upon huge amounts of data to keep users engaged. Without that fundamental, freakishly well-tuned technology, TikTok wouldn’t really be anything at all—just another video or shopping platform.

The supremely popular TikTok could be banned on Jan. 19 under a federal law that forces the video sharing platform to divest itself from its China-based parent company, ByteDance, or shut down its U.S.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday ruled against TikTok's bid to avoid a ban that could shut the app down in just two days and impact millions of users who rely on the platform for entertainment, ecommerce and ad dollars.

The ban, set to take effect Sunday, January 19, will remove TikTok from U.S. app stores. But there are workarounds for downloading the app post-ban.