.AI? .SI? More Like .Distraction

You’ve all seen the news already. President Trump signed an executive order directing the executive branch of the US government to use the terms “Super Intelligence” and “SI” instead of “Artificial Intelligence” and “AI.” This, in turn, has led to quite a bit of interest in the .SI domain name.

In the startup and tech space, there has been a great deal of talk about also changing the terminology to match. Some of those people have even talked about .SI domain names. In fact, even the Polymarket X account commented about a .SI domain name over the weekend:

JUST IN: AI.⁠si domain listed for sale for $699,995 as Silicon Valley increasingly shifts from “AI” to “SI” — superintelligence.

— Polymarket (@Polymarket) October 4, 2026

Debating domain names and domain name extension can be a distraction for a startup. It pulls key people away from the primary objectives of building a better product, finding product-market fit, and raising the capital needed to grow. Having to decide whether to build on a .AI domain name, and now potentially whether to pivot to a .SI domain name, only adds another layer of uncertainty and distraction.

Making this a bit more complicated is that many domain registrars, like GoDaddy and Namecheap, do not yet sell .SI domain names for registration. Others, like Dynadot, have reported issues connecting with the .SI registry. On the aftermarket, I’ve noticed sale reports, but it’s unclear if the majority of that is end user or domain investor-driven. From what I can see, investors have bought many and priced them very high. Good for them for trying to capitalize on the potential shift. I would, too. However, sky high asking prices are going to cause a greater pause on end user adoption.

I expect there will be plenty of debates inside startups and tech companies about whether .AI or .SI makes more sense for domain names. Ironically, I think some of that uncertainty will lead back to .com domain names. A .com domain name isn’t dependent on whether the industry calls the technology Artificial Intelligence, Super Intelligence, or something else down the road. For a company thinking long term, that can make .com feel like the safer and more future-proof option. This is especially the case with .AI and .SI domain name prices at eye-watering levels.

Yes, I registered some .SI domain names. I am late to this, but I got a few one word names so I can participate at some level. I have no idea how this will all turn out though.

The more interesting question isn’t whether .AI or .SI is the better extension for a business. It’s whether changing terminology will make businesses place even greater value on .com, which is an extension that has stood the test of time.