THE VALLEY, ANGUILLA--The government of Anguilla has moved to reassure residents that United States President Donald Trump's effort to replace the term artificial intelligence with "super intelligence" is not expected to undermine the island's lucrative .ai internet domain business, which has become one of its largest sources of government revenue.
The concern follows Trump's recent decision to promote "super intelligence," abbreviated SI, as the preferred terminology for artificial intelligence. Because Anguilla controls the .ai internet domain extension, the announcement prompted questions about whether businesses might eventually abandon .ai website addresses in favor of .si domains, which belong to the European country of Slovenia.
Anguilla's Minister responsible for Information Technology, José Vanterpool, addressed the issue during a government briefing on October 12, explaining that there is no evidence that the proposed terminology change has affected demand for .ai registrations.
"I want to reassure the general public that at this stage we have no reason to believe that this announcement poses an immediate threat to Anguilla’s .ai domain industry," Vanterpool stated.
The Minister emphasized that the .ai extension has developed into an established international brand, particularly among technology companies, artificial intelligence developers and startups.
He argued that businesses have already invested substantial resources in websites, branding and marketing associated with their .ai addresses and would be unlikely to abandon those investments simply because of a change in terminology promoted by the American president.
Vanterpool also confirmed that sales of .ai domains increased in September compared with August, suggesting that demand has remained strong despite the developments in Washington.
The controversy began on September 22, when Trump proposed renaming artificial intelligence during his address to the United Nations General Assembly.
On September 29, he signed an executive order directing American federal agencies to adopt the term "super intelligence" in official communications.
Trump further emphasized his position on October 8 through a statement on his Truth Social platform criticizing continued use of the term artificial intelligence.
Although the directive concerns terminology used by the United States government, its potential commercial implications attracted attention because the initials AI have become closely associated with a rapidly expanding global technology industry.
For Anguilla, the economic stakes are considerable.
AI Domain Revenue Has Become Major Source of Government Income
Anguilla, a British Overseas Territory with a population of approximately 14,000, has experienced substantial financial benefits from the worldwide expansion of artificial intelligence.
The island was originally assigned the .ai country-code internet extension because AI represents its two-letter geographic identifier.
For many years, the domain generated relatively modest revenue. However, the growth of artificial intelligence technologies transformed the extension into a sought-after digital address for companies seeking to associate their businesses with the technology.
Businesses and individuals pay registration and renewal fees to use .ai website addresses, generating revenue for Anguilla's government.
According to figures disclosed by Premier Cora Richardson-Hodge in September, domain registrations generated approximately EC$217 million, equivalent to US$80 million, during the first seven months of 2026.
That represented approximately 47.5 percent of the government's total revenue collected during the period.
The amount also exceeded the EC$203 million collected in taxes from the territory's productive sector over those same seven months.
Anguilla's government has projected approximately EC$253 million in domain registration revenue for the full year.
In its 2026 budget, the government estimated that .ai registrations would account for nearly 40 percent of total non-tax revenue, reflecting the importance of the industry to public finances.
The revenue has provided Anguilla with an income source that does not depend directly on tourism, which has traditionally been one of the island's principal economic activities.
The government has consequently emphasized the importance of managing the income responsibly, recognizing that technological developments and changes in global demand could influence future earnings.
Slovenia Sees Increased Interest in .si Domains
While Anguilla has reported continued demand for .ai registrations, Trump's terminology change has generated interest in Slovenia's .si internet domain.
The extension corresponds to the abbreviation for Slovenia but also matches the initials of "super intelligence," the terminology promoted by the American administration.
According to figures reported by international media, approximately 44,000 .si domain registrations were recorded in September, compared with around 2,000 in August.
Approximately 11,000 registrations reportedly occurred on September 30, immediately following Trump's executive order.
The increase indicates that businesses, investors and domain speculators are exploring opportunities associated with the new terminology.
However, Vanterpool cautioned against interpreting the increased interest in .si as evidence that Anguilla's domain business is losing customers.
He noted that growth in one domain category does not necessarily mean a corresponding decline in another, particularly when businesses may register multiple website addresses for branding, marketing or investment purposes.
The Minister also suggested that some of the increased activity involving .si could reflect speculation rather than a lasting change in how technology companies identify their products.
Anguilla's government maintains that the existing commercial value of .ai is supported by years of international recognition and established business use.
Government Expects Continued Growth
Despite concerns about the potential impact of Trump's decision, Anguilla remains optimistic about the long-term outlook for its domain registration industry.
According to reporting by Politico, Vanterpool indicated that the territory expects revenue growth heading into 2027, partly through plans to expand the availability of .ai domain names internationally.
The expansion includes additional internationalized domain names intended to accommodate languages that do not use the Roman alphabet.
This would allow the territory to reach more users and businesses in markets where demand for artificial intelligence-related digital services continues to develop.
The government is also monitoring international domain registration trends to determine whether changing terminology produces any measurable effect on demand.
For now, officials maintain that the shift promoted by the Trump administration does not alter Anguilla's ownership of the .ai extension or require existing website operators to change their internet addresses.
The question remains whether "super intelligence" will gain widespread acceptance as a replacement for artificial intelligence, a term that has become deeply established across technology, education, business and public policy
