In the 1980s, when the internet was just emerging, countries and territories were assigned unique domain names—Anguilla, a small British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean, got .ai. At the time, it seemed insignificant. Today, with artificial intelligence booming, this tiny island is reaping enormous rewards.

Companies and entrepreneurs worldwide are buying .ai domains. Dharmesh Shah, US tech entrepreneur and HubSpot co-founder, reportedly spent $700,000 on you.ai for his AI venture. The number of .ai domains has grown from fewer than 50,000 in 2020 to over 850,000 today, and continues to rise rapidly.

For Anguilla, with a population of 16,000, .ai sales generated $39 million in 2024, almost 23% of its total revenue, supplementing tourism, which still accounts for 37%. To protect this digital asset, Anguilla partnered with Identity Digital, moving all domains to global servers to avoid disruptions from hurricanes or local power issues.

The government plans to invest the revenue in infrastructure, healthcare, and a new airport, reducing economic dependence on hurricane-prone tourism. With AI demand skyrocketing, Anguilla’s .ai domains are not just digital real estate—they are fueling a sustainable future for the island.