What are the new domain applications introduced by ICANN?

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN, has kicked off the process of introducing new top-level domains, with 1,615 applications submitted so far. These domains, which are the suffixes at the end of URLs, have been a long time coming, with the last major expansion happening years ago. The trend in this batch of applications won't surprise anyone, with answer engine optimization (AEO) in mind: AI is everywhere.

How are companies like Meta and OpenAI using AI-related domains?

Ten different companies, including both Meta and OpenAI, are vying for the .agent domain, while seven, including OpenAI, are applying for .agi. Six companies, including OpenAI, are interested in .asi, likely a nod to the concept of "super intelligence" popularized by President Trump. Four companies have applied for .intelligence, and Meta is one of two interested in the lengthy .superintelligence. OpenAI has applied for a total of 15 TLDs, while Meta is seeking a whopping 21.

The applications fall into two broad categories: generic domains that lots of people or companies might use, and branded domains that give a company its own TLD for its purposes. There are hundreds of generic domains in this batch, ranging from .geek to .haha to .anime to .jackpot. Then there are the branded domains, with 345 applications from companies like Applebees, Bank of America, Zillow, and Zoom. Meta has applied for domains like .facebook, .instagram, and .threads, which could be used for a variety of purposes. Bluesky is seeking .bsky, apparently to integrate the domain into its usernames, while OpenAI has applied for .chatgpt, .codex, and others.

It's been a tough road for alternate TLDs over the last few years, with some, like .ai or .app, gaining popularity thanks to tech trends, but most people still defaulting to .com and a few other staples. It's interesting to see so many brands going for their own domain, a strategy that's only been successfully executed by a few companies, including Google. This is just the first step in the process, and nothing will be made official until sometime next year. But one thing is clear: even as the world becomes more mediated by AI, great domain names continue to matter – even to AI companies themselves.

Cet article a été rédigé avec l'assistance de l'IA.
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