The .AI Domain & the Rise of Artificial Intelligence

When you think of artificial intelligence what do you typically imagine?

Some far-flung frontier in the vast void of space, where self-learning machines are terraforming an inhospitable planet to make it habitable for humans?

Or maybe you think about a cyborg with an Austrian accent who has been sent from the future to terminate the mother of an, as yet unborn, anti-AI resistance leader?

Or maybe it’s simply a customer chatbot who guesses (often incorrectly) what you’re going to ask next when booking a holiday?

Either way, you are unlikely to associate artificial intelligence with the sunny, tropical island paradise of Anguilla and its luxurious Caribbean beaches.

So What is the Connection?

.AI is the ccTLD for Anguilla and is another example of the trend where certain suffixes (see .GG) have gained significant increases in registrations from people with little or no direct relationship with the host territory.

Despite a population of just under 15,000, there are currently over 57,000 .AI domain names registered, more than vastly larger countries like .BG (Bulgaria) or .TH (Thailand).

A large percentage of these are registrations from companies in the artificial intelligence (AI) industry, particularly startups.

The AI Industry and the .AI Domain Space

AI is now widely considered to be the next digital frontier and investment in the sector is growing to reflect this potential.

In 2020, the global total corporate investment in artificial intelligence (AI) reached almost 68 billion U.S. dollars, a significant increase from the previous year.

When megacorporations like Amazon, Google, Apple, Microsoft and IBM start pumping megabucks into AI startups, it’s time to sit up and take notice.

Many of the startups bought by Google e.g. API.ai, webforward to existing Google pages. www.google.ai forwards to www.ai.google where there is a mind-bending array of AI applications that Google is actively researching and sharing. AI projects include predicting natural disasters to tracking diseases as they spread – wouldn’t we all find that useful right now?!

Facebook.ai forwards to the Facebook AI sector where there is some pretty amazing stuff on challenges such as Deepfake detection. Here research is conducted which can tell when AI has been used to alter a video in order to mislead the viewer

For those interested in off-world applications of AI, NASA.ai brings you to a site where you are met by the exhilarating statement “Artificial Intelligence Research for Space Science, Exploration & All Mankind”. Beam me up, Scotty!

Apple, meanwhile, recently bought Drive.ai, an autonomous driving startup once valued at $200m.

Away from the big boys, there are numerous examples of innovative AI companies using their .AI domain as their primary web presence:

Fetch.ai – which provides AI for Blockchains based around open-source technology that any global user can run to connect to the network.

Eightfold.ai – whose deep-learning talent intelligence platform uses AI to help people understand their work career potential while allowing enterprises to understand the potential of their workforce

Ascent.ai – which provides AI for automated object picking and kitting.

Arturo.ai – which provides instant AI solutions for the insurance sector by “unlocking the power of aerial imagery”.

Should I Get a .AI Domain Name?

.AI domains are highly sought after both by tech and AI startups and those longer in the tooth.

According to TLDinvestors.com, Convergenz paid $28,000 for conv.ai in June 2021 as it continues to provide AI services to the public and private sector. As is the case with many companies, the adoption of AI has been accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic, proving that the market for .AI domains is growing and healthy.

If you’re an AI startup with the next best idea to save or ultimately destroy humanity – depending on your point of view – then you don’t need machine intelligence to tell you that a .AI domain might be the perfect solution for you.

It’s already well recognised within the AI sector so there is little need to worry about brand recognition while Google insists that their search engine shows no SEO favouritism between a .COM and a ccTLD like .AI.

What Else Do I Need To Know?

Anybody anywhere in the world can register a .AI domain and a .AI domain needs to be registered for a minimum of 2 years.

And if the .COM domain you wanted is gone, you have a great chance of securing the .AI domain that will propel your brand to infinity and beyond.

Sources: domainnamestat.com, statista.com