- 333 ICANN applications were brand related, 864 applications came from North America
- Big Tech is fighting for control over many AI-related TLDs
- We’ll likely see them go live late in 2027
Not long after ICANN closed its latest round of submissions for new top-level domains (TLDs), the body has now revealed some more details about the 1,615 new applications it received.
The organization says 333 applications were brand-related, with major companies seeking to gain greater control over their online presence.
In fact, more than half of the applications – over 800 – came from North American organizations, though ICANN did also acknowledge the internet’s international reach with 21 internationalized domain name (IDN) applications using non-Latin script like Arabic and Chinese.
Besides the 864 North American applications, a further 506 came from Europe, representing a combined 85% of all the submissions given up until the August deadline.
“These applications demonstrate how organizations around the world are innovating new ways to build trusted online identities, serve their communities, and connect with Internet users,” CEO Kurtis Lindqvist wrote.
But it’s not just geography that shows heavy tendencies, because many large companies also filed for multiple TLDs including OpenAI, which requested no fewer than 15, including .chatgpt. ICANN also revealed that OpenAI wasn’t alone in requesting .agi, with six other applicants also seeking control over the TLD.
Google’s intentions were also clear, applying for more than 30 extensions including .api, .mcp and .agent, with Meta also seeking .superintelligence, .agent and .wearables, while Anthropic just sought two of its own terms – .anthropic and .claude.
Ultimately, and as expected, it’s clear that AI-related domains attract the most competition in today’s landscape, with Google, OpenAI and Meta fighting it out across many of the top terms.
Next up, during the first half of 2027, ICANN will conduct its Prioritization Draw, so we won’t actually get to see any successful applications live until at least the later half of next year, it seems.
