ICANN new – From .agent to .superintelligence, tech giants are racing to secure new top-level domains as ICANN opens the doors to a new wave of internet real estate.
The familiar rhythm of the internet is about to shift. and the world’s largest tech companies are already staking their claims. For the first time in years. the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers—ICANN—is accepting applications for new top-level domains. those crucial suffixes that define the architecture of our digital lives.
The latest batch of filings confirms that the industry is obsessed with one singular theme. ICANN has received 1,615 applications from 481 different entities, and the scramble for AI-related branding is unmistakable. Ten companies, including Meta and OpenAI, are fighting for control of the .agent suffix. The push for dominance continues with seven applicants seeking .agi. six vying for .asi—a nod to the push for ‘super intelligence’—and four companies pursuing .intelligence. Meta even filed for the unwieldy .superintelligence. while OpenAI alone has sought a total of 15 domains. and Meta has filed for 21.
Beyond the race for AI-branded web space, these applications generally fall into two camps. There are the whimsical or broad labels—like .geek, .haha, .anime, .jackpot, and the existential .itiswhatitis—intended for general use. Then, there are the purely corporate moves. Of the current batch, 345 applications are branded. Companies are angling for their own exclusive real estate: OpenAI wants .chatgpt. .codex. .openai. and .gpt; Anthropic has put in for .anthropic and .claude; and Meta is seeking .facebook. .instagram. .messenger. .meta. .frommeta. and .threads. Even Bluesky is in the mix. pursuing .bsky with an eye toward integrating it into its user handles. while names like .applebees. .bankofamerica. .zillow. and .zoom round out the corporate surge.
While .ai and .app have found some traction, the history of alternate top-level domains has been difficult. Most users never fully embraced suffixes like .restaurant or .babysitting, leaving .com and its older counterparts more entrenched than ever. The current land grab represents a pivot back toward branded domains. a strategy only a handful of players like Google have successfully executed in the past.
This process is just beginning. No new domains will be finalized until at least next year. yet the underlying message is clear: even in an era of rapidly evolving artificial intelligence. the digital identity of a brand remains a high-stakes battle. For the companies building these models, the virtual soil is just as important as the code itself.
ICANN AI Meta OpenAI top-level domains internet technology web .agent .agi