Recent changes proposed by Donald Trump regarding the terminology of artificial intelligence have led to a remarkable spike in the registration of Slovenian web domains. The official registry for Slovenia has reported that this surge is unprecedented, coinciding with Trump’s suggestion to rebrand AI as “super intelligence,” or SI, aligning with the .si domain suffix used by Slovenian websites.
Klara Herman, a representative from Register.si, noted a staggering increase in registrations, with 44,000 web addresses adopted in September alone. This figure contrasts sharply with the fewer than 2,000 registrations recorded in August, marking a rise of over 2,100%. She described the level of activity seen in late September as “unprecedented” compared to the previous year.
Trump’s call for this rebranding was made during his address to the United Nations General Assembly on September 11. In his speech, he emphasized that the term “artificial” gives a misleading impression of the technology, asserting that it is far from fake. He advocated for the new terminology of “super intelligence” to better reflect the capabilities of the technology.
Surge in Domain Registrations
The registration of domain names serves as a crucial method for users to access websites through easily memorable addresses, such as bbc.co.uk. Herman highlighted that September’s registration statistics stood out prominently against the backdrop of other months this year, although she expressed caution in attributing the entire increase solely to Trump’s remarks. On September 30 alone, there were 11,000 new registrations recorded.
One theory behind this increase is a phenomenon where individuals purchase domain names speculatively, anticipating that their value may appreciate over time, allowing them to resell for a profit. This practice has historical precedents, such as Rick Schwartz, known as “The Domain King,” who bought men.com in 1997 for $15,000 and later sold it for a staggering $1.32 million seven years later.
Executive Order and Public Response
Additionally, Trump convened a meeting with leading technology executives, referring to it as an extraordinary gathering aimed at shaping what he calls “America’s Golden Age.” During this meeting, he signed an executive order mandating that US government agencies begin using the terms “SI” and “Super Intelligence” while discontinuing the term AI in official communications, including websites and reports.
Although the executive order was intended to signal a new direction in terminology, it faced ridicule online when it was discovered that the phrase “United States” was misspelled beneath Trump’s signature on the document. This incident highlights the complexities surrounding Trump’s rebranding efforts.
A clarification was made on October 1 regarding earlier mentions of cyber-squatting, which involved the unethical practice of registering domain names with intent to profit. The article was updated to clarify that the act of registering domain names as an investment, with hopes of future value appreciation, is a legitimate business strategy.
