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Slovenian domain registrations surge 2,100% after Trump's 'super intelligence' push

Register.si reports 44,000 new .si addresses in September, 11,000 on a single day

By LineZotpaper
Published
Updated
Read Time2 min
Sources2 outlets
Slovenia's official national domain registry has reported an 'unprecedented' surge in .si web address registrations following President Donald Trump's call to rename artificial intelligence as 'super intelligence,' whose initials match the country's internet suffix.

Register.si spokeswoman Klara Herman said 44,000 web addresses with the .si suffix were registered in September, compared to fewer than 2,000 in August -- an increase of more than 2,100%. She described the scale of activity in late September as 'unprecedented' compared to the previous 12 months. On 30 September alone, 11,000 new registrations were recorded.

President Trump called for the technology to be renamed during his speech to the United Nations General Assembly in New York on 11 September. 'The use of the word artificial makes it sound fake,' he said. 'It's not fake, it's actually amazing. But we have to be careful... welcome to the new world of super intelligence.' Trump followed up by hosting a meeting of top technology bosses, which he called 'an extraordinary gathering' of the people 'building America'.

Herman was 'cautious' about attributing the entire increase to President Trump's comments, though she said registrations for .si web addresses in September stood out 'very clearly' against the other months in the year. One possible explanation for the purchases is speculative domain name investing, where people register addresses hoping to sell them later at a profit.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • The surge in .si registrations shows how a single political statement can create a tangible, measurable ripple in internet infrastructure and speculative markets.
  • Domain name speculation can drive up costs for legitimate Slovenian businesses and organisations seeking their own national web addresses.
  • The episode highlights how country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs) can become unintended targets of global attention, putting pressure on small registry operators.

Background

Country-code top-level domains such as .si are managed by national registries and are typically used by entities connected to that country. The .si domain is administered by Register.si, the official Slovenian national registry. Domain name speculation, where individuals or companies register domains hoping to resell them at a higher price, is a long-established practice. The surge follows President Trump's 11 September UN address proposing that AI be rebranded as 'super intelligence,' an acronym that coincides with Slovenia's internet suffix.

Key Perspectives

Register.si (Klara Herman): The registry is cautious about pinning the entire surge on Trump's comments but acknowledges the timing and scale are extraordinary. It faces the administrative challenge of processing an unexpected flood of applications. Domain speculators: For investors, the coincidence of 'SI' with a major political figure's terminology creates a potential windfall. They are betting that interest in .si domains will translate into resale value. Critics/Skeptics: Some may question whether the surge is purely speculative or whether other factors are at play. The registry itself notes September's spike stands out but does not offer a single explanation.

What to Watch

  • Whether the surge continues into October or fades as quickly as it appeared.
  • How many of the newly registered domains are actively used versus held for speculation.
  • Any formal statement from the Slovenian government or Register.si on whether it will implement measures to deter bulk speculative registrations.

Sources

Zotpaper

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