7. 09. 2025 | Natalie Bezděková

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The Caribbean island of Anguilla may be small and hard to spot on a map, yet it has become one of the most surprising players in the digital economy. The reason is not its tourist resorts or exports, but the two-letter internet domain .ai, assigned to the island back in the 1990s. At the time, it was nothing more than a formal country code for the internet. Today, it has turned into a source of millions of dollars in revenue.

The acronym AI is globally recognized as “artificial intelligence.” With the explosive growth of this field in recent years, the demand for web addresses ending in .ai has skyrocketed. Startups, developers, and even major corporations want a domain that looks modern and clearly signals their focus. As a result, .ai has become one of the fastest-growing domain extensions in the world.

For Anguilla, this has meant a financial windfall. Each registration costs hundreds of dollars, and because most clients renew their domains, the revenue stream is both stable and long-term. In some years, the domain has generated as much as one-fifth of the island’s total budget revenues. The money has been used not only for day-to-day government expenses but also for infrastructure projects, healthcare, and education. Thanks to these funds, the local airport has been modernized, and digital literacy programs have been introduced.

Until recently, Anguilla’s economy was heavily dependent on tourism. But pandemics and hurricanes have shown how fragile this sector can be. Domain revenue now provides a more secure and diversified source of income.

The domain’s operations are managed by technological partners who ensure reliable service, cybersecurity, and seamless registrations. This allows the island’s government to focus on how best to invest the windfall for long-term development.

Economists, however, remain cautious. The popularity of .ai is directly tied to the boom in artificial intelligence. If the trend slows or technology shifts, revenues could drop significantly. This is why Anguilla is debating how to use its current “digital jackpot” to build a more resilient and less dependent economy.

The story of this Caribbean island demonstrates how something seemingly insignificant—just two letters—can have a profound global impact. By sheer chance, Anguilla has become a symbol of how even the smallest player can hold great significance in the digital age.

Photo source: www.pexels.com

Natalie Bezděková

I am a student of Master's degree in Political Science. I am interested in marketing, especially copywriting and social media. I also focus on political and social events at home and abroad and technological innovations. My free time is filled with sports, reading and a passion for travel.