Who would have thought that a small Caribbean island with a population of about 15,000 has become a top "landlord" in the global artificial intelligence (AI) trend. The country's top-level domain ".ai", originally allocated to the British overseas territory of Anguilla, has evolved into a powerful "money-making" source for the local government, thanks to its natural fit with artificial intelligence (AI).
According to the latest data from the domain statistics organization Domain Name Stat, the number of ".ai" domain registrations has officially exceeded 1 million as of early January 2026, since the global rush to register domains triggered by ChatGPT. This figure represents an impressive economic benefit: according to the 2026 budget report of the Anguilla government, revenue from the explosive growth of domains is expected to reach $96.4 million. It is estimated that just domain registration contributed over $70 million in income to the country last year, making up a significant portion of the government's total revenue.
