The demand for website addresses with AI-related names is going up, and this is making the prices for these domain names really high. Ian Leaman, who started Pantry AI, had to pay $12,000 for the domain name Pantry.ai because it was already taken. Other domain names like npc.ai and service.ai were sold for $250,000 and $127,500.

To get a domain name, you have to check if it’s available through accredited domain registrars. If it’s already taken, you can use a domain brokerage to talk to the current owner and make a deal. Joe Udemme, who is the CEO of Name Experts, says that there’s a big increase in the demand for AI-named websites, and they’re being sold for a lot of money.

In 2021, the total value of domain names with AI in them went up to $20 million, compared to $7 million the year before. This increase is because new companies want to be online, and some people want to make money by selling these domains. Matt Barrie, who is the CEO of Escrow, says that having a short and easy-to-remember domain name is important for companies because it can help them be seen online and be remembered by customers.

The most wanted website addresses for AI companies are single words with the .ai ending, because they are seen as valuable digital property. But Andrew Rosener, who is the CEO of MediaOptions, says that companies should not pay too much for AI-focused domains unless their business is really focused on AI. Even though the prices are high, the trend of AI-related domain names is expected to keep going because more money is being put into AI and companies want to show off their AI skills.

Original news source: The race to buy AI website addresses (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Reporter Role-play
Instructions: Students pair up and one takes on the role of a news reporter while the other is an expert in the domain name industry. The “reporter” interviews the “expert” on the rising trend of AI-related domain names and their skyrocketing prices, using information from the article. After a few minutes, they switch roles.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down AI and domain-related vocabulary from the article on small pieces of paper (e.g., domain, brokerage, accredited, demand, digital property). Divide the class into two teams. One student from a team picks a piece of paper and draws the word for their team to guess. If they guess correctly within a time limit, they score a point.

– Opinion Spectrum
Instructions: Lay out a line on the floor with tape or use an imaginary line. One end is “strongly agree,” the other end is “strongly disagree.” Read out statements related to the article (e.g., “AI-related domain names are worth their high prices,” “Having an AI-related domain name is crucial for a tech company’s success”). Students place themselves along the line based on their opinion and discuss their reasoning with nearby classmates.

– Speed Summarizing
Instructions: Students are given one minute to summarize the article as concisely and accurately as possible to a partner. After each student has had a turn, discuss which key points were most commonly included in their summaries and why.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Ask students to write down or discuss their predictions about the future of AI domain names and their impact on the business world based on trends mentioned in the article. They can consider questions like “Will prices continue to rise?” and “How might this affect new startups?” After writing or discussing, they can share their predictions with the class and provide reasons for their viewpoints.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What has caused the prices of AI-related website addresses to increase?
2. How much did Ian Leaman pay for the domain name Pantry.ai?
3. What are two examples of high-selling AI domain names and their sale prices?
4. Where can you check the availability of a domain name you want to purchase?
5. Who is Joe Udemme and what has he said about the demand for AI-named websites?
6. How much did the total value of domain names with “AI” in them increase from the previous year in 2021?
7. Why does Matt Barrie believe that having a short and memorable domain name is important for companies?
8. What advice does Andrew Rosener offer to companies considering the purchase of AI-focused domain names?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

The demand for website addresses with AI-related names is going up, and this is making the prices for these (1)______ names really high. Ian (2)______, who started (3)______ AI, had to pay $12,000 for the domain name (4)______ because it was already taken. Other domain names like npc.ai and service.ai were sold for $250,000 and $127,500.

To get a domain name, you have to check if it’s available through accredited domain registrars. If it’s already taken, you can use a domain brokerage to talk to the (5)______ owner and make a deal. Joe (6)______, who is the CEO of Name Experts, says that there’s a big increase in the demand for AI-named websites, and they’re being sold for a lot of money.

In 2021, the (7)______ value of domain (8)______ with AI in them went up to $20 million, compared to $7 million the year before. This increase is because new companies want to be online, and some (9)______ want to make money by (10)______ these domains. Matt Barrie, who is the CEO of Escrow, says that having a short and easy-to-remember domain name is important for companies because it can help them be seen online and be remembered by customers.

The most (11)______ website addresses for AI companies are single (12)______ with the .ai ending, because they are seen as valuable (13)______ property. But Andrew Rosener, who is the CEO of MediaOptions, says that (14)______ should not pay too much for AI-focused (15)______ unless their business is really focused on AI. Even though the prices are high, the (16)______ of AI-related domain names is expected to keep going because more money is being put into AI and companies want to show off their AI skills.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What do you think “AI” stands for and can you think of any products or services that use AI?
2. How would you feel if you had to pay a lot of money for a website name you really wanted?
3. Do you think having a cool website name is important for a business? Why or why not?
4. Have you ever tried to create a website? What name would you choose for your site?
5. Why do you think AI-related names are becoming so popular now?
6. How do you think companies decide how much to pay for a domain name?
7. What is your favorite website and what do you like about its name?
8. If you were starting a company, would you pay more for a domain name that includes “AI” or choose a cheaper option? Why?
9. Do you think a short and easy-to-remember website address is important for success online? Why or why not?
10. What is a “digital property” and why do you think it can be valuable?
11. Do you think spending a lot of money on a domain name guarantees a company’s success? Why or why not?
12. Can you think of any other domain endings, like .com or .org? Which one do you see the most?
13. How do you think the internet will change in the next 10 years with more AI coming into the picture?
14. Do you believe that AI will be a big part of our future? Why or why not?
15. If you had the chance to invest in technology, would you choose AI? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. domain
2. AI
3. registrar
4. brokerage
5. CEO
6. value
7. property
8. trend

Meanings:
(a) A specific website address
(b) The person in charge of a company
(c) A specific area or piece of land
(d) The worth of something
(e) A general direction in which something is developing
(f) A place where you can buy website addresses
(g) A type of technology that makes machines smart
(h) A person or company that helps you buy a domain name
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. How did Ian Leaman acquire the domain name Pantry.ai?
(a) He got it for free
(b) He used a domain brokerage
(c) He registered it through an accredited domain registrar
(d) He had to pay $12,000 for it

2. What is the total value of domain names with AI in them in 2021?
(a) $5 million
(b) $20 million
(c) $15 million
(d) $25 million

3. According to Joe Udemme, what is the trend in the demand for AI-named websites?
(a) It’s decreasing
(b) It’s staying the same
(c) It’s increasing
(d) It’s unpredictable

4. What is the importance of having a short and easy-to-remember domain name for companies, according to Matt Barrie?
(a) It can help them be seen online and be remembered by customers
(b) It doesn’t really matter
(c) It’s only important for big companies
(d) It’s not important at all

5. What type of website addresses are most wanted for AI companies?
(a) Single words with the .ai ending
(b) Long phrases with the .ai ending
(c) Single words with the .com ending
(d) Long phrases with the .com ending

6. According to Andrew Rosener, how much should companies pay for AI-focused domains?
(a) As much as possible
(b) The highest price available
(c) Not too much unless their business is really focused on AI
(d) It doesn’t matter, as long as they get the domain name

7. Why is the demand for AI-related domain names expected to keep going?
(a) The prices are going down
(b) There are too many domain names available
(c) People are losing interest in AI
(d) More money is being put into AI and companies want to show off their AI skills

8. What is the role of a domain brokerage in acquiring a domain name?
(a) To create the domain name
(b) To talk to the current owner and make a deal
(c) To register the domain name
(d) To design the website

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. Other domain names like npc.ai and service.ai were sold for $250,000 and $127,500.
2. The trend of AI-related domain names is expected to decline because less money is being put into AI and companies do not want to showcase their AI skills.
3. The demand for website addresses with AI-related names is increasing, causing the prices for these domain names to go up.
4. The least desirable website addresses for AI companies are single words with the .ai ending, as they are seen as worthless digital property.
5. To get a domain name, you have to check if it’s available through accredited domain registrars.
6. The total value of domain names with AI in them went up to $20 million in 2021, compared to $7 million the year before.
7. If a domain name is already taken, you can use a domain brokerage to talk to the current owner and make a deal.
8. Ian Leaman had to pay $12,000 for the domain name Pantry.ai because it was readily available.
Go to answers ⇩

Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What is happening to the prices of website addresses with AI-related names, and why?
2. How much did Ian Leaman pay for the domain name Pantry.ai, and why was it so expensive?
3. What are the steps to acquire a domain name if it’s already taken by someone else?
4. According to Matt Barrie, why is it important for companies to have a short and memorable domain name?
5. What advice does Andrew Rosener offer to companies considering purchasing AI-focused domain names?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What has caused the prices of AI-related website addresses to increase?
The prices have gone up because lots of new companies want to be online and some people are trying to make money by selling these domains.

2. How much did Ian Leaman pay for the domain name Pantry.ai?
Ian Leaman paid $12,000 for the domain name Pantry.ai.

3. What are two examples of high-selling AI domain names and their sale prices?
Two examples are npc.ai, which sold for $250,000, and service.ai, which was sold for $127,500.

4. Where can you check the availability of a domain name you want to purchase?
You can check if a domain name is available through accredited domain registrars.

5. Who is Joe Udemme and what has he said about the demand for AI-named websites?
Joe Udemme is the CEO of Name Experts, and he said that there’s a big increase in the demand for AI-named websites, which are being sold for a lot of money.

6. How much did the total value of domain names with “AI” in them increase from the previous year in 2021?
The total value of domain names with “AI” went up to $20 million in 2021, which is an increase from $7 million the year before.

7. Why does Matt Barrie believe that having a short and memorable domain name is important for companies?
Matt Barrie believes it’s important because it can help companies be seen online and be remembered by customers.

8. What advice does Andrew Rosener offer to companies considering the purchase of AI-focused domain names?
Andrew Rosener advises companies not to spend too much on AI-focused domains unless their business is really focused on AI.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) domain
(2) Leaman
(3) Pantry
(4) Pantry.ai
(5) current
(6) Udemme
(7) total
(8) names
(9) people
(10) selling
(11) wanted
(12) words
(13) digital
(14) companies
(15) domains
(16) trend
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. domain
Answer: (b) The person in charge of a company

2. AI
Answer: (d) The worth of something

3. registrar
Answer: (c) A specific area or piece of land

4. brokerage
Answer: (f) A place where you can buy website addresses

5. CEO
Answer: (g) A type of technology that makes machines smart

6. value
Answer: (a) A specific website address

7. property
Answer: (h) A person or company that helps you buy a domain name

8. trend
Answer: (e) A general direction in which something is developing
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. How did Ian Leaman acquire the domain name Pantry.ai?
Answer: (d) He had to pay $12,000 for it

2. What is the total value of domain names with AI in them in 2021?
Answer: (b) $20 million

3. According to Joe Udemme, what is the trend in the demand for AI-named websites?
Answer: (c) It’s increasing

4. What is the importance of having a short and easy-to-remember domain name for companies, according to Matt Barrie?
Answer: (a) It can help them be seen online and be remembered by customers

5. What type of website addresses are most wanted for AI companies?
Answer: (a) Single words with the .ai ending

6. According to Andrew Rosener, how much should companies pay for AI-focused domains?
Answer: (c) Not too much unless their business is really focused on AI

7. Why is the demand for AI-related domain names expected to keep going?
Answer: (d) More money is being put into AI and companies want to show off their AI skills

8. What is the role of a domain brokerage in acquiring a domain name?
Answer: (b) To talk to the current owner and make a deal
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. Other domain names like npc.ai and service.ai were sold for $250,000 and $127,500. (Answer: False)
2. The trend of AI-related domain names is expected to decline because less money is being put into AI and companies do not want to showcase their AI skills. (Answer: False)
3. The demand for website addresses with AI-related names is increasing, causing the prices for these domain names to go up. (Answer: True)
4. The least desirable website addresses for AI companies are single words with the .ai ending, as they are seen as worthless digital property. (Answer: False)
5. To get a domain name, you have to check if it’s available through accredited domain registrars. (Answer: True)
6. The total value of domain names with AI in them went up to $20 million in 2021, compared to $7 million the year before. (Answer: True)
7. If a domain name is already taken, you can use a domain brokerage to talk to the current owner and make a deal. (Answer: True)
8. Ian Leaman had to pay $12,000 for the domain name Pantry.ai because it was readily available. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧