Telecommunications & Media
AI era makes good web addresses assets as big tech rushes to secure domains
Competition in AI is spreading to the internet addressing system, with big tech companies including OpenAI and Meta seeking AI-related top-level domains such as .agent and .agi. In ICANN’s 2026 new generic top-level domain application round, 481 applicants filed 1,615 applications. The most contested string was .agent. Companies also filed hundreds of brand-style applications, including .facebook and .chatgpt, though approvals will require ICANN review and dispute procedures.
