Competition in AI is spreading to the internet addressing system. Big tech companies including OpenAI and Meta are joining a race to secure AI-related top-level domains such as ".agent" and ".agi".

On Oct. 7, local time, IT outlet The Verge and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) said 481 applicants submitted a total of 1,615 applications for new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) for 2026. This round is the first large-scale new gTLD application window since 2012.

The most fiercely contested string is ".agent". Ten applicants, including Meta and OpenAI, applied. Seven, including OpenAI, applied for ".agi", and 6 applied for ".asi". Four applied for ".intelligence", and Meta also applied for ".superintelligence", which has one other rival. OpenAI applied for 15 top-level domains (TLDs) in total, and Meta applied for 21.

Companies also actively sought to attach their own brands to the end of internet addresses. In ICANN’s official tally, brand-style applications total 333. Meta applied for ".facebook", ".instagram", ".messenger", ".meta" and ".threads". OpenAI applied for ".chatgpt", ".codex", ".openai" and ".gpt", and Anthropic applied for ".anthropic" and ".claude". Bluesky also moved to secure ".bsky".

The application list also included general strings that can be used by many individuals and companies, such as ".geek", ".anime", ".haha" and ".jackpot". By contrast, brand-style domains are closer to dedicated internet addresses that companies use for their own services and marketing.

Still, filing an application does not mean securing a domain immediately. If multiple parties apply for the same string, ICANN review and dispute resolution procedures are required. From today, Oct. 8, through Oct. 21, there will be a period to choose alternative strings, and the final list of strings will be confirmed afterward. New domains are expected to be officially introduced on the internet from next year onward.

As AI companies race to secure internet addresses, an analysis is emerging that terms such as agent and AGI are becoming new online brand assets beyond their technical meanings.