How Anguilla Accidentally Became Part of the AI Infrastructure
Back in the 1980s, when the internet was still a fragile experiment, every country was assigned a two-letter country-code domain. Anguilla received .ai, with no foresight that decades later those two letters would align perfectly with artificial intelligence.
Fast forward to today, and .ai is more than just a domain; it’s a core part of AI branding and infrastructure. From startups to Fortune 500 companies, owning a .ai domain signals authority in the artificial intelligence space. Even platforms like Superfile.ai leverage the extension to directly connect their brand with the AI ecosystem.
The Numbers Behind Anguilla’s Digital Windfall
Here’s where things get technical:
- In 2020, there were fewer than 50,000 registered .ai domains.
- By 2024, that number exploded to 850,000+—a 17x increase in just four years.
- The Anguillian government earned 105.5 million ECD ($39M) from domains in 2024, or 23% of its total revenues.
- Revenue is projected to hit 132M ECD in 2025 and 138M ECD in 2026, according to official budget drafts.
For context, tourism—the island’s traditional economic driver, still contributes around 37% of GDP, but it remains highly vulnerable to hurricanes. By contrast, digital revenue from .ai is location-independent and resilient to climate risks.
Technical Management: Why Infrastructure Matters
Running a global domain isn’t just about selling names. It’s also about DNS stability, redundancy, and disaster-proof hosting.
- In 2024, Anguilla signed a five-year deal with Identity Digital, a U.S.-based domain registry operator.
- Identity Digital migrated all .ai domains from local servers to its global anycast DNS network, ensuring uptime even during hurricanes or power outages.
- Renewal fees for .ai domains are around $150–$200 every two years, while premium names (like you.ai at $700,000) demonstrate the speculative value of digital real estate.
This approach contrasts with Tuvalu’s early .tv deal, which locked the country into a flat fee instead of scalable revenue sharing. Anguilla’s model is much more adaptive to the exponential growth of AI.
What This Means for the Future of AI and Anguilla
The .ai extension isn’t just a quirky coincidence anymore; it’s becoming part of the technical and financial backbone of the global AI industry.
For entrepreneurs, an .ai domain acts like a DNS-level handshake with credibility. For Anguilla, it’s a hedge against natural disasters and a sustainable growth engine.
The government has hinted that this digital income could fund a new international airport, healthcare upgrades, and long-term infrastructure, all crucial for an island frequently hit by climate events.
With over 850,000 domains already registered and momentum building, it’s clear the .ai story is still in its early chapters.
