In February, a rather intriguing situation unfolded when it became apparent that OpenAI had apparently acquired AI.com with the intention of redirecting it to the ChatGPT web interface.
However, a twist occurred as Elon Musk, a former supporter of OpenAI and well-known figure in the Twitterverse, seems to have taken over the valuable domain, or someone else did it on his behalf. AI.com now redirects to X.ai, which is Elon Musk’s budding machine learning research venture.
While domain transactions are common, two-letter .com domains are both rare and exceedingly expensive, particularly when they form complete words or well-known abbreviations.
When AI.com started redirecting to OpenAI’s site, industry experts speculated that the domain likely sold for a price well above the $3.8 million that IT.com fetched the previous year, given the prevailing hype surrounding artificial intelligence.
OpenAI probably hoped that acquiring AI.com would attract inadvertent URL visitors and turn them into lifelong users, or they might have planned to eventually move their customer-oriented operations, such as ChatGPT’s web client, to the shorter domain. Alas, we may never know the exact intentions, as the domain is now directed to X.ai.
This news was initially reported by Analytics India Magazine, although there is little else to discuss about the transfer itself. The whole situation is puzzling and costly enough to warrant attention.
As for X.ai, it still remains somewhat speculative, housing only a few academics and engineers working on projects, likely under Musk’s guidance.
Although their stated objective is to “understand the true nature of the universe,” there hasn’t been any visible progress since the site’s launch in July. Understandably, Musk has been occupied with various other ventures during this time.
As observers, we can only speculate on the reasons behind this domain switch. Did Sam Altman lose interest in the acquisition? Was the plan to transition to the new domain abandoned in favor of a different strategy?
Was the sale tentative, or perhaps a month-to-month lease? Was there a competitive bidding process, or did someone simply lose interest?
Regardless of the circumstances, it appears to be nothing more than a tussle between wealthy individuals over a shiny object.
After all, ChatGPT already holds the crown as the most recognizable AI brand, so why would anyone invest millions to establish a new one from scratch? On the other hand, X.ai is already concise and memorable (at least until there are eight more Musk companies with “X” names).
Besides, the current content on the site isn’t compelling enough to justify such a substantial redirection cost. It’s worth noting that OpenAI never officially confirmed their purchase of the domain, and unsurprisingly, Musk has not responded to any inquiries.
If I had a substantial amount of money, say $10 million, and the opportunity to acquire AI.com, my move would be to redirect it to the obvious candidate and then tempt their rivals with a 50% markup.
If that tactic failed, I’d switch it to the competitor and offer it back to the initial company. Hopefully, a savvy internet entrepreneur had the same brilliant idea and managed to secure a handsome payday from one of these billionaires. If so, kudos to them for their shrewd play.
Ultimately, it seems that nobody really cares about who owns AI.com, and people might even be skeptical of any corporate entity vying for what is evidently a vanity domain. Let’s all agree to abstain from using it. Perhaps that will serve as a valuable lesson for everyone involved.