The article discusses Anguilla, a British overseas territory in the Caribbean, which is experiencing a surge in demand for its .ai domain names due to the rise of artificial intelligence. Initially, Anguilla’s web address was established in the 1980s, but it has now become lucrative, with companies and individuals registering .ai domains in record numbers.
Notably, Dharmesh Shah, a tech executive, purchased an .ai domain for $700,000, highlighting the potential value of these addresses. Over the past five years, the number of registered .ai domains has increased tenfold, with projections anticipating earnings from domain sales to grow substantially, contributing to Anguilla’s economic diversification alongside its tourism sector, which is vulnerable to hurricanes.
The Anguillian government has signed an agreement with a U.S. tech company to manage these domain registrations and has reported revenue from domain sales constituting a significant portion of its income. The article also mentions Anguilla’s efforts to ensure long-term sustainability of this revenue and improve the island’s infrastructure and healthcare through these earnings. Overall, Anguilla seeks to balance its newfound wealth from domain registrations with the challenges posed by its location within the hurricane belt.
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