A recent presidential proposal to rebrand artificial intelligence has sparked an extraordinary surge in internet domain registrations connected to Slovenia.
The national registry for the country, Register.si, reported a massive jump in web addresses ending in the .si suffix following a high-profile speech delivered by United States President Donald Trump at the United Nations General Assembly in mid-September.
During his address in New York, the American leader argued that the traditional descriptor for the technology carries misleading connotations. He asserted that the word artificial implies something is counterfeit rather than genuinely remarkable, suggesting instead that the industry adopt the moniker super intelligence, or SI.
Registrations for web addresses utilizing the country code saw a staggering leap in the wake of those remarks. According to Register.si spokesperson Klara Herman, the registry processed approximately 44,000 new .si domain names during the month of September. This figure represents an astronomical increase of over 2,100 percent compared to August, when fewer than 2,000 addresses were claimed.
Herman noted that the sheer volume of internet address creation observed late in the month stood in stark contrast to historical patterns recorded over the preceding year. On the final day of September alone, applicants secured nearly 11,000 new domains. While acknowledging that the influx was remarkable, registry officials exercised caution regarding a single direct cause, though the timing closely mirrors the presidential announcement.
Analysts suggest that a primary driver behind the sudden rush for these specific web addresses is speculative domain acquisition, commonly known as cyber-squatting. Investors frequently purchase digital real estate matching newly popularized acronyms or terminology in anticipation that the domains will appreciate in value, allowing them to be resold for a substantial profit at a later date.
The terminology shift has since moved beyond rhetoric and into official policy. Following a gathering of prominent technology executives at the White House, the administration unveiled an executive order mandating that federal agencies and departments transition entirely to the terms SI and super intelligence in all official documents, reports, web platforms, and correspondence.
The rollout of the directive did not pass without a degree of online amusement. Observers quickly pointed out a typographical error on the paperwork, noting that the phrase "United States" was misspelled beneath the presidential signature. Despite the typo, the administrative mandate solidifies the new terminology across federal communications, further fueling global interest in the matching digital acronym.
Reporting based on coverage first published by BBC News. Read the original report at BBC News.
