The numbers tell the story: In January 2019, there were about 60,000 .ai domain names. As of January 2025, just six years later, registered .ai domains have multiplied tenfold.
The surge in AI adoption has predictably led to a surge in AI signaling across industries, including B2B tech branding. Companies eager to demonstrate their technical prowess and innovative thinking are doing so in ways both subtle and overt, from broad “AI-powered” claims to adopting .ai domains for their digital presence and even as part of their company names.
As your company considers its marketing messages and brand identity, however, it’s important to ask: Even if your products or services leverage AI — and they likely do or will — is artificial intelligence truly the primary and permanent differentiator of your brand?
Just because you can get an .ai domain doesn’t mean you should.
We know it as well as you do: Securing a .com domain for your company in 2025 can feel like trying to find a special edition Stanley cup in 2023 (speaking of trends that don’t last forever). Who hasn’t thought of the perfect URL, only for their hopes to be dashed by GoDaddy? In fact, who hasn’t come up with a not-that-great URL, only to find that it, too, is unavailable or expensive?
With millions of .com domains already registered, many branding teams see .ai as an attractive alternative. After all, it’s short, it’s recognizable, it signals innovation, and it might actually be available for less money than it takes to buy a private island.*
And that’s not wrong (at least for now), but the decision deserves deeper strategic consideration. The question isn’t whether .ai domains are less legitimate than .com (they aren’t) or whether companies will eventually need to embrace alternative domain extensions (they will).
The real questions are:
- Does the .ai extension authentically reflect your company’s core value proposition?
- Will it still make sense for your brand in five years when AI is as ubiquitous as having a website?
- Is artificial intelligence truly what differentiates you in the market?
For some companies, such as those building AI technologies or whose primary value proposition centers on artificial intelligence, an .ai domain or brand name might be perfectly aligned with their long-term identity. Take companies like Claude.ai or Anthropic.ai, where AI isn’t just a feature but the very essence of what they do.
But for companies where AI is simply one of many tools used to deliver value, hitching your brand identity to .ai might be limiting at best.
Don’t let AI-washing land you in hot water.
The trend in AI-forward branding goes beyond naming. Some companies are force-fitting AI into their value propositions or tossing it in as a buzzword. These descriptions tend to obscure rather than clarify what companies actually do for their customers, breaking the fundamental rule of B2B marketing: Communicate clear value to your target audience.
Adding “.ai” to your domain or peppering “AI-powered” through your marketing materials without substance doesn’t serve your brand. In a worst-case scenario, touting AI where it isn’t really used can get you into more trouble than just not serving your brand to its best.
Of course, if you’re genuinely using artificial intelligence to solve customer problems, you’re not just allowed to talk about it — you have a responsibility to communicate about it clearly and accurately.
Build a future-proof but flexible B2B brand identity.
While it’s unwise to ride the coattails of a branding trend, the charge isn’t to create a B2B brand that never changes or that’s so banal it could never go out of style (because it was never in it). That’s neither realistic nor desirable. After all, no one can predict exactly where technology or culture will take us.
Instead, aim for a brand identity that can grow and adapt authentically with your company while maintaining coherence with your core mission and values.
The building blocks of a B2B brand that stands the test of time.
Consider these principles for developing a more sustainable, meaningful B2B brand identity.
- Focus on what you really do. That means the customers you serve and the results you can help drive, not the technology that helps you get there today. In other words, think about what sets you apart.
- Look beyond the current wave. Today it’s AI; tomorrow it might be quantum computing or brain-computer interfaces. Your brand should be flexible enough to evolve with technology while remaining true to your core mission. What’s more, while AI is a hot topic right now and is likely to remain one in the near term, it’s not all rosy. The phrase itself can cause fear and mistrust among some audiences, whether or not those negative connotations have anything to do with your business.
- Don’t be so literal. Amazon started as an online bookseller. But their aspirational name makes perfect sense even now that they’ve expanded into everything from healthcare to, well, AI. Good thing they didn’t box themselves in. Or consider Figma, which could have easily branded itself Design.ai. Instead, they chose a more evocative name that has become synonymous with creative collaboration.
Let authenticity be your brand’s North Star.
As AI capabilities become ubiquitous, the real differentiator won’t be whether your B2B tech uses AI — it will be what you offer your customers, with or without it. This doesn’t mean avoiding AI in your B2B branding if it truly reflects your core mission. But it does mean being thoughtful about how and when you signal AI capabilities.
Ready to build a B2B tech brand that transcends trends? Let’s talk about building something that lasts.
*Did you know? The .ai domain is actually the country code top-level domain (ccTLD) of Anguilla, a small Caribbean island. The British overseas territory has found itself at the center of the AI branding gold rush, much like how the Pacific island nation of Tuvalu cashed in on its .tv domain.
Another fun fact: As of January 2025, .ai domains are exclusively managed by Identity Digital (formerly Donuts, a name this writer happens to love). All this to say: Before giving all your dollars to Donuts (sorry), consider investing in a more distinctive brand presence that won’t be unnecessarily tied to current B2B tech trends.
