ICANN reportedly reviewing 1,600 applications for new global top-level domains including AI.slop and .borg

ICANN’s latest round of GTLD applications marks a potential expansion of the domain name system, with over 1,600 submissions under review. While the full list of applicants and proposed TLDs will be officially revealed in the coming weeks, some applicants have preemptively published their desired strings. This includes names like .slop.borg, and .hype, as well as AI-focused TLDs such as .agentic and .AGI. The process is not new, ICANN’s 2012 round led to the creation of over 1,200 GTLDs, but the scale and themes of this round suggest a continued push toward niche and industry-specific domains.

For engineers, the introduction of new TLDs presents both opportunities and challenges. On one hand, specialized domains could improve clarity and branding for projects, particularly in emerging fields like AI and decentralized technologies. On the other, the proliferation of TLDs may complicate DNS management, increase the risk of typosquatting, or require additional monitoring for domain squatting. Teams operating in regulated or high-security environments may need to update allowlists or blocklists to account for new TLDs, adding operational overhead.

The approval timeline for new GTLDs is lengthy, with ICANN’s review process including a 104-day objection window. Even after approval, it may take months or years for registries to become operational. This delay provides a window for organizations to assess the implications of proposed TLDs and plan accordingly. For example, companies in the AI or crypto spaces may want to monitor applications for relevant strings to preemptively secure domains or mitigate potential misuse. The $227,000 evaluation fee per application also signals that only well-funded entities are likely to succeed, limiting the diversity of new TLDs.

The material does not specify how ICANN will handle conflicts between applicants or whether existing trademark holders will have priority. This uncertainty could lead to disputes or legal challenges, further delaying the deployment of contested TLDs. Engineers should note that while the proposed TLDs are public, their eventual availability is not guaranteed. Teams relying on domain-based infrastructure should treat this as a long-term planning exercise rather than an immediate operational concern.