In October 2023, a domain sale made headlines, and for once, it wasn’t a .com. The domain you.ai sold for $700,000 on the Sedo marketplace, making it the highest ccTLD (country-code top-level domain) sale of the year.
But the seller wasn’t the only one benefiting from the .ai boom. Since the launch of ChatGPt in November 2022, Anguilla, the small island nation that manages the .ai extension, has been making millions in revenue from domain registrations.
The demand for .ai domains has skyrocketed, and it’s not just tech startups that are paying attention. With the arrival of DeepSeek raising the stakes in AI, the market is growing at a ferocious pace, making these domains more valuable than ever.
Let’s take a look at the history of .ai, why it has surged in popularity, and why now is the time to register one.
A brief history of .ai
The .ai extension was assigned to Anguilla on February 16, 1995 – almost a decade after the first TLDs launched. Initially, registrations were limited to second-level domains like .com.ai, .net.ai, .org.ai, and .off.ai. That changed in 2009 when Anguilla opened direct registrations under .ai to anyone worldwide.
Despite this, .ai remained relatively niche until 2022. Then, with the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney, registrations surged.
In July 2018, there were only just 50,000 registered .ai domains. However, by 2023, .ai registrations had reached a whopping 353,928. By October 1, 2024, this number had surpassed 533,000, having more than doubled since June 2023. And, as of January 2025, there are over 600,000 registered .ai domains on the Internet.
The surge in .ai domain registrations has significantly impacted Anguilla’s economy. In 2023, the territory earned approximately $32 million from .ai domain fees, accounting for over 20% of its total government revenue. This marks a substantial increase from previous years, where such revenue constituted around 5%.
Due to the exponential growth of the domain, the backend management of the .ai domain transitioned from the Anguilla government to registry backend provider Identity Digital in January 2025.
Why register a .ai domain name?
If you’re building a business or website in the AI space, here’s why a .ai domain could be the right choice for you:
- Short and memorable: With just two letters, .ai is easy to remember. Short domains tend to stick in people’s minds, and .ai instantly signals that your website is AI-related.
- Stands out from the crowd: While .com and .net remain dominant, .ai is a newer, more specialized choice. It shows that you’re keeping up with industry trends.
- Less competition – 600,000 registered .ai domains may sound like a lot, but as a number, it’s not nearly comparable to the over 150 million .coms on the Internet. That means more great names with .ai are still available.
- Good for SEO: If your company name includes “AI,” having a .ai domain can help with search visibility. Google also treats .ai as a gTLD, so your site can rank globally, not just in Anguilla.
Register your .ai domain at Openprovider
Looking to register .ai domains in bulk? With Openprovider, you can do so via our all-in-one platform while saving time and money.
Since September 2023, Openprovider has been an accredited registrar for .ai domains – and if you’re registering multiple .ai domains, Openprovider Membership gives you a serious advantage.
As a Member, you get access to domain operations for 1,900+ TLDs at cost price, meaning lower costs on every .ai domain (and 1,900+ others!) you register or renew.
Whether you’re a domain investor, a startup securing multiple brand names, or a reseller, our pricing model helps you save more as you grow your portfolio.
Want to secure your .ai domain? Check availability and register yours today.
