Anguilla's government has stated that the territory's economy is unlikely to be harmed by U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to order that "artificial intelligence" be referred to as "super intelligence" (SI), according to Politico.
Who is affected and what happened
Anguilla, a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean consisting of one larger and several smaller islands, covers 95 km² and has roughly 16,000 inhabitants. The territory owns the ".ai" top-level domain registry, which generates substantial revenue: Prime Minister Cora Richardson-Hodge said that revenue from domain registrations reached US$90 million in August.
On September 29, Donald Trump issued a directive instructing that the term "artificial intelligence" be replaced with "super intelligence," and on October 8 he posted on Truth Social that the White House considers anyone who uses the older term an enemy.
Why ".ai" matters to Anguilla
Many companies working with artificial intelligence purchase rights to use the ".ai" domain from Anguilla, so demand for the domain can directly affect the territory's income. A budget speech from last November cited in the reporting notes that payments for domain registrations make up 40 percent of Anguilla's non-tax revenue.
Anguilla's response and the effect on ".si"
José Vanterpool, Anguilla's Minister of Technology, said on Monday that there is currently no reason to assume the announcement represents a direct threat to Anguilla's ".ai" domain industry, and that he does not expect a long-term drop in registration requests. The reporting notes that demand for ".ai" actually increased in September.
Trump's move had a noticeable short-term effect on Slovenia's ".si" domain: the English abbreviation for "super intelligence" is SI, and Slovenia owns ".si." Interest in ".si" jumped after the announcement — about 2,000 registration intents were recorded in August, rising to roughly 44,000 in September.
What's at stake
For Anguilla, the ".ai" domain is an important economic asset. Despite its small geographic size and population, revenues from the domain meaningfully contribute to the territory's finances, especially among non-tax income sources. Officials say there is no evidence so far that Trump's announcement reduced demand or revenue.
Next steps
Authorities will continue to monitor domain market trends and registration numbers. Based on current data, Anguilla's leadership expects the ".ai" business to remain viable over the longer term, but will watch for any impacts arising from international terminology changes or political statements.
Key points
- Anguilla: 95 km², ~16,000 residents, owner of the ".ai" domain.
- Donald Trump issued a directive on September 29 to rename "artificial intelligence" as "super intelligence," and reiterated the stance on October 8 on Truth Social.
- Anguilla reports no decline in ".ai" demand; domain-related revenue reached US$90 million in August.
- Interest in Slovenia's ".si" surged after the announcement: ~2,000 intents in August vs. ~44,000 in September.
