.ai domains explained: the AI-era prestige extension
The country-code TLD for Anguilla. Demand exploded post-2022 as AI startups adopted it as the canonical extension for machine-learning products.
Quick facts
- Registry
- Government of Anguilla
- Introduced
- 1995
- Typical price
- $80.00 – $140.00 / year
- Restrictions
- Open registration. Sold in 2-year increments by most registrars.
What is .ai?
.ai is the country-code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Anguilla, a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It has been operational since 1995 and is open to global registration.
The AI-boom premium
From the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022 onward, .ai has been the prestige extension for any product positioning itself as AI-native. Demand drove registration revenue for the Anguillan government to a material share of national income — public filings noted .ai revenue exceeding tourism in some quarters.
Registration specifics
.ai registrations are typically sold in 2-year terms (not 1-year like most gTLDs) and at a premium price point — $80-$140/year is the current retail range. There is no in-country presence requirement; anyone worldwide can register.
Famous examples
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Character.AI (character.ai)
Conversational AI character platform.
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Perplexity (perplexity.ai)
AI-powered search engine.
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Anthropic Claude (claude.ai)
Anthropic's consumer AI product.
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Hugging Face (huggingface.ai)
AI model hub (primary on .co).
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You.com (you.ai)
Forwarded brand asset.