Anguila - The Heart of Artificial Intelligence

On Thursday we flew to St Martin and took a ferry to  Anguilla. ​The island is a British Overseas Territory, 16 miles long by 3 miles wide. I have been a Director of a company here for the last 12 years. My Co-Director, Lynwood Bell had been busy setting up various receptions and meetings for us to attend and share some ideas. Below is the eclectic beach bar, Roys Bayside Grill, that we stayed above. Click on the picture to see it live.

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.AI

Just before our trip I set up an All Party Parliamentary Group on artificial intelligence (AI). Working with Lord Clement Jones and Stephen Metcalfe MP, we brought together many of the UK’s leading AI experts, and parliamentarians from both houses, to debate the opportunities and risks presented to society by AI, including the impact on employment, ethics, governance and accountability.

Why do I share this? Well, it turns out that emails and websites in Anguilla end with the domain extension ‘.AI'. I have been seeing organisations using this domain to represent themselves as artificial intelligence comapnies who don’t even know where the island is. It struck me the island was sitting on an asset that has real value. Below is the presentation I gave on arrival to test it out, captured by the islands local TV Channel 4 .. 

Following the presentation we met with the Island’s Governor, Her Excellency Cristina Scott, as well as her Chief Minister, Attorney General, Minister for Public Affairs and several other notable dignitaries. In principle we got agreement that new legislation could be passed that could restrict the use of the domain to foreign companies who could be certified to be using artificial intelligence, and from this platform create new value in the domain and a platform to position the island at the heart of AI. We discussed a major summit bringing together experts from Silicon Valley and Europe - both about 8 hours away, to debate the key issues. By repositioning the island away from a high end tourism and a tax haven, we could stimulate new opportunities and investment.