The public availability of .AI domains has introduced a new frontier of both opportunity and potential risks for brands in the domain name space.
As artificial intelligence (AI) technologies continue to surge in prominence – both in terms of real world application and our collective mindshare – so does the need for brands and organizations to safeguard their intellectual property through the strategic registration of .AI domain names. This is especially true for brands that intersect with technology, software, machine learning and artificial intelligence in any way.
Understanding the .AI Domain
.AI is the country code top-level domain (TLD) associated with Anguilla, a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. Originally intended for entities associated with Anguilla, the .AI domain has been repurposed as the online TLD of choice for the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence. With its registration restrictions repealed, its adoption by AI-related businesses and AI enthusiasts continues to grow rapidly, making generic and branded .AI domains a commodity for domain investors and increasingly, bad actors.
Current Surging State of .AI Registrations
As of November 2023, nearly 250-thousand .AI domain names have been registered worldwide.
While a wide range of organizations and individuals, from startups to established enterprises, have recognized the strategic importance of protecting brands, intellectual property and ideas in the .AI extension, the 156% surge in .AI registrations between July 2022 and July 2023 has not only been by legitimate entities.
As the normalization and integration of AI technologies has increased across all sectors of our economy, in work and in our personal lives, so has the exploitation of AI’s popularity by cybercriminals.
.AI and the Threat Posed by Cybercriminals
With increased usage of .AI domains in brand URLs, the extension is becoming more familiar to the internet using public, and consequently, a more attractive choice for use in online fraud and phishing. Part of .AI’s appeal to cybercriminals is its positive association and relative newness, at least in the eyes of the general public who are just getting used to seeing it out in the wild of the world wide web.
Reports from domain industry professionals and cybersecurity experts alike highlight a concerning trend of cybercriminals registering .AI domains associated with recognized brands. Burgeoning .AI domain registrations are fueling a parallel rise of .AI being blocked for malicious activity including phishing attacks, affiliate marketing scams and cryptocurrency scams – as indicated by a recent analysis of .AI usage by the phishing detection service, Netcraft. Homoglyph .AI domain, also called “lookalike” domains, that so closely resemble brands they get easily misread and mistaken as legitimate is another tactic being observed in .AI. A good example of the threat represented by homoglyph domains is Microsoft’s 2021 court order to take down 17+ malicious homoglyph domains being leveraged for BEC (business email compromise) and other exploits, wherein the number “0” used in place of the capital letter “O” (e.g. MICROSOFT.COM vs. MICR0S0FT.COM), among other variations, is an example of the type of infringement now occurring with .AI.
This exploitation of the .AI domain is posing a direct threat to the brand integrity and security of organizations that have yet to secure their presence in this domain space.
Importance of .AI Domain Registration
Brands and organizations must recognize the importance of registering .AI domains as a fundamental element of their overall brand protection and cybersecurity strategy – especially if they belong to highly targeted industries including banking, IT, online software.
Whether an organization is registering .AI with intent to use the domain extension, or simply to protect their brands from exploitation, these decisions should be grounded in an overarching corporate domain strategy that clearly outlines how a brand’s intellectual property should be represented, utilized, managed and protected as domain names to support the organization’s overall business objectives.
As an experienced corporate domain registrar with deep expertise in domain security, Webnames Corporate can help brands implement a cost effective domain strategy that protects your intellectual property without overreach through informed recommendations around defensive and offensive registrations, ongoing monitoring for domain abuse and the right combination of security measures implemented ar both the domain and portfolio level.
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As AI technologies continue to advance rapidly, the .AI domain will become an even more foundational asset in the future-proofing a brand’s online presence. Registering in the .AI namespace is not only about safeguarding an organization from current threats but also positioning them to show up with memorably and relevantly on the web as the AI landscape continues to evolve, innovate and grow. We encourage organizations to not wait in making a strategic investment in their future brand protection and cybersecurity in the age of artificial intelligence.
Have Questions?
Our corporate domain management experts offer professional help and strategic advice around protecting brands in the domain name space, remaining mindful of your goals, concerns, risk exposure and budget. Contact us today to learn more about our corporate domain management services or to acquire or register the .AI domain names you need.
