Elliot Silver: the .ai vs .si debate is a distraction for AI startups
Domain investor Elliot Silver argues that the buzz around .si names, sparked by the US government switching its terminology from "AI" to "Super Intelligence", pulls founders away from what matters: building product, finding product-market fit and raising money. He notes that large registrars such as GoDaddy and Namecheap were not yet offering .si, that Dynadot reported registry connection problems, and that speculators have priced many .si names high, with AI.si reportedly listed at $699,995.
Silver expects the uncertainty to push some companies toward .com, which does not depend on what the technology is called. For .ai buyers the takeaway is that an established, widely recognised extension still counts for more than chasing a naming trend that could change again.
