Anguilla's unexpected AI windfall reshapes island economy. The Caribbean territory, assigned the .ai domain suffix in the 1980s, generated approximately $93 million in 2025 from domain registrations alone. Major AI companies including Perplexity, Claude, and Meta pay fees to use .ai addresses, creating substantial revenue for an island of just 16,000 people. Domain registrations have surged from $2.9 million in 2018 to nearly $100 million annually as the AI industry exploded. Anguilla's government now projects .ai domains will account for roughly half of total government revenue in 2025. The windfall is funding infrastructure expansion, including airport improvements, road construction, and enhanced health services. This represents a remarkable example of how technological trends can create unexpected economic opportunities for small nations through domain licensing.
