As AI-powered search continues to reduce traffic to websites, Google is giving publishers a new way to encourage readers to choose their content as a preferred source.
The company has introduced an interactive “Preferred Sources” button that publishers can add directly to their websites. Readers can use it to mark a publisher as a favorite source they want to see more often across Google Search, Discover and Google News.
Google first introduced Preferred Sources in May across its AI-powered search features, including AI Mode and AI Overviews. The option was previously available in Top Stories.
The feature is designed to help readers find content from publishers they already know and trust, including when they use Google’s AI tools to search for information or follow the latest news. Google said users had already selected more than 345,000 unique sources through the feature by May.
Readers can also add a publisher as a preferred source through Google’s source preferences page by searching for the publication’s name or website.
According to Google, becoming a preferred source can help publishers attract more traffic. Earlier studies found that users are twice as likely to click on a preferred source when one is available.
More Control Over Google Discover
Google is also giving users more control over their Discover feeds. Soon, people will be able to tell Google in their own words which topics they want to see more or less of.
Users can tap the three-dot menu on a Discover post and enter a natural-language request. Google will then adjust the feed based on their preferences.
The move follows a broader shift among social media platforms toward giving users more control over the algorithms that determine what content they see.
Android users will also soon be able to customize their audio daily briefings in the Google News app, according to the company.
AI Now Shows Up In More Than One-Third Of New Web Pages, Study Finds
More than one-third of web pages published since ChatGPT launched show significant signs of AI authorship or editing, according to a new study by Pew Research Center.
The findings add to growing evidence that AI is reshaping not only how people use the internet, but also the content being published online. The study comes shortly after Cloudflare reported that automated bot traffic had surpassed human web traffic.
Pew analysed nearly 500,000 English-language web pages collected through the Common Crawl archive, covering roughly five years before and after ChatGPT’s November 2022 launch. Researchers used Open Pangram’s technology to identify pages that appeared to have been written or substantially edited by AI.
A random sample of 10,000 pages collected in July 2026 showed significant signs of AI authorship on around 10% of pages. Because this sample included older content published before generative AI tools became widely available, Pew conducted a second analysis focused only on pages published after ChatGPT’s release.
That analysis found signs of AI authorship on 35% of pages.
Large Differences Across Domains
AI involvement varied considerably depending on the type of website. Pages using .com domains showed signs of AI authorship at roughly 10 times the rate seen on .edu and .gov domains, where the figure was around 1%.
Non-profit .org websites also recorded a relatively low rate, at 4.6%.
Pew cautioned that AI detection tools can incorrectly classify human-written content. However, researchers said the scale of the analysis makes the overall trend directionally meaningful.
AI Writing Patterns Are Also Changing
Alongside direct signs of AI authorship, Pew identified an increase in several writing patterns often associated with AI-generated text.
These include greater use of em dashes, Oxford commas and constructions such as “it’s not X, it’s Y.”
The findings suggest that AI is becoming an increasingly visible part of the web’s content infrastructure, even as automated systems are also becoming a larger part of the audience consuming that content.
60% Of Coastal Businesses Fail Tax Compliance Checks
The Tax Department has found violations at 60% of more than 100 businesses inspected in Cyprus’s main coastal tourist areas, as authorities step up efforts to tackle tax evasion during the summer season.
Checks focused on sea sports and boat excursion operators, souvenir shops and catering businesses in Paphos, Ayia Napa, Protaras and Larnaca.
More than 100 unannounced inspections were carried out over the past two weeks, with 60 businesses found not to have issued receipts after selling goods or providing services.
Inspectors also found cases where receipts did not match the actual transaction value. Some businesses reportedly refused card payments for small purchases or accepted cash only, making it easier to conceal income.
The inspections are part of a business-sealing measure introduced last June and intensified during the peak tourist period.
Businesses Given Time To Comply
Businesses that break the rules initially receive a warning and 15 days to comply. A second warning provides another 15 days, followed by a final five-day deadline.
Failure to comply can lead to the premises being sealed. The Tax Commissioner can lift the seal once the business meets the requirements and receives a compliance certificate, while continued violations can result in closure for up to 20 days.
Follow-up checks have already shown that businesses previously found in violation changed their practices and began issuing receipts and accepting card payments.
Major Tax Debtors Next
The crackdown will now expand to businesses with tax debts exceeding €20,000. Authorities have identified around 500 businesses owing more than €1 million in taxes, with enforcement action expected in the coming weeks.
From January 1, 2027, the sealing measure will also cover failures to submit tax returns, VAT returns and tax and contribution withholding declarations.
Taxpayers have been given a year to settle outstanding liabilities and file overdue returns.
Italy Joins Cyprus, Greece And Malta In Expanded Maritime Talks
Cyprus, Greece and Malta are expanding their maritime cooperation, with Italy set to join the group for the first time at a meeting in Limassol on September 9.
Cyprus Deputy Minister of Shipping Marina Hadjimanoli said Italy’s participation reflects ongoing efforts to strengthen regional cooperation and Cyprus’s strategic partnerships in the maritime sector.
She added that bringing Italy into the format signals a shared commitment to closer coordination on the challenges and opportunities facing the industry. The initiative followed Hadjimanoli’s visit to Rome at the invitation of her Italian counterpart.
Talks Return To Cyprus
Scheduled for September 9, the meeting will be the ninth in the series and the first to take place in Cyprus in eight years. Cyprus previously hosted the sixth trilateral meeting with Greece and Malta in 2018, while the latest meeting was held in Greece in 2023.
Discussions will cover several issues shaping the future of shipping, including the competitiveness of European shipping, decarbonisation and new European legislation and policies.
Participants are also expected to address issues that will feature on the agenda of the International Maritime Organization and EU institutions in the coming months.
Focus On Europe’s Maritime Future
Hadjimanoli said these developments will have a significant impact on the shipping industry and require closer dialogue between countries with major maritime sectors.
Cyprus, Greece, Italy and Malta are among Europe’s most significant shipping centres and also have an important presence in the global maritime industry.
Larnaca Ranks Among Europe’s Top Autumn Holiday Destinations
Larnaca has been ranked the third-best destination in southern Europe for an autumn 2026 holiday, placing ahead of resorts in Greece, Portugal, Spain and Italy, according to a survey by British travel insurance comparison site Quotezone.
Only Antalya in Turkey and Tenerife in the Canary Islands ranked higher in Quotezone’s list of the 10 best shoulder-season destinations. The ranking considered factors including sunshine, temperatures, rainfall and accommodation costs.
Larnaca scored highly for its autumn conditions, with average sea temperatures of 27°C, average air temperatures of 25.5°C and only 12 millimetres of rainfall across the two months covered by the survey.
Nearby Nissi Beach was also highlighted as one of Europe’s top beaches.
Quotezone created its 2026 Shoulder Season Index to identify destinations offering warm weather without the extreme temperatures and higher prices associated with the peak summer season.
Autumn Travel Gains Popularity
According to the research, hotter summers are encouraging more travellers to reconsider when they take their holidays. Some 52% of respondents said they would actively avoid southern Europe during summer because of the heat, while 48% would consider moving their annual holiday from the peak summer period to autumn.
Price is another factor. Around 26% cited lower costs as a reason to travel in autumn, while 42% said they would wait for a last-minute price reduction before booking. Another 11% said they always wait for an autumn deal.
Fewer crowds are also appealing, with 21% identifying reduced congestion as a key reason for choosing autumn travel. A further 16% valued having fewer children around, while 3% said autumn made it easier to take time off work.
Quotezone said the shift towards shoulder-season travel is increasingly visible across different age groups, rather than being limited to older travellers.
Larnaca Municipality Seeks Public Input On New Local Plan
Larnaca Municipality is inviting residents across its three municipal districts to share their views as work begins on a new Local Plan.
Following the Interior Ministry’s decision to prepare the plan, three public meetings have been scheduled with the participation of planning consultancy ALA Planning Partnership Consultancy.
The first meeting will take place on September 1 at 6pm at the Livadia Municipal District event hall. A second session is scheduled for September 3 at 6pm at the Oroklini Municipal District Amphitheatre, followed by a third on September 7 at 6pm at Larnaca Municipality’s Multipurpose Social Welfare and Employment Centre.
Residents Invited To Shape Future Development
During the meetings, officials will explain how the new Local Plan will be prepared, outline the expected timeline and present its main planning principles and priorities.
Existing planning zones and the challenges facing future development in each area will also be discussed.
Residents will have an opportunity to share their views on how urban development should evolve, as well as on the future of Larnaca, Livadia and Oroklini.
Wider Vision For Larnaca
Larnaca Mayor Andreas Vyras said the process goes beyond deciding which areas should be designated for housing. It will also address broader urban planning policies, development, green spaces and other factors shaping the city’s future.
He encouraged residents to attend the meetings and learn more about the proposals.
According to the municipality, the new Local Plan provides an opportunity to develop a shared vision for Larnaca’s coming years, with a focus on creating a modern, sustainable and people-centred city that makes better use of its strengths and responds to the needs of those who live, work and participate in the community.
Larnaca EOA Launches €300,000 Flood Protection Study
Larnaca District Local Government Organisation (EOA) has announced a €300,000 tender for the design of flood protection measures in Larnaca and Aradippou.
The project aims to improve flood prevention and support better drainage infrastructure in areas that have experienced flooding in the past.
A detailed study will be carried out for flood protection works in Kalo Chorio, along with the preparation of documentation required before construction can begin. Worth €300,000 plus VAT, the contract will be funded by the government and is expected to take 12 months to complete once awarded.
Specialists will examine water flows across the area and design a drainage system capable of collecting and managing rainwater more effectively. Technical and environmental documentation needed for the future construction phase will also be prepared as part of the project.
Planning Future Flood Defences
Previous flooding incidents in the Larnaca district, particularly around the Kamares aqueduct, were among the reasons for commissioning the study, according to the organisation.
Once the work is completed, EOA is expected to have a comprehensive plan for the area, allowing it to proceed with the construction of the proposed flood protection infrastructure.
Cyprus Could Turn GSI Into A Regional Energy Gateway, Expert Says
Cyprus should assess the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI) as long-term strategic infrastructure rather than focusing only on its immediate cost, according to energy systems expert and former CERA chairman Andreas Poullikkas.
Poullikkas, a professor at Frederick University, said Cyprus needs to decide whether it will remain electrically isolated or use its location to become an energy hub in the Eastern Mediterranean. Under the current arrangements, the Republic’s financial obligation stands at €50 million.
Cyprus remains the only EU member state without an electricity connection to the European network. Poullikkas argues that this isolation carries economic, environmental and energy-security costs.
The GSI could help integrate Cyprus into the European electricity market, increase the use of renewable energy and strengthen the resilience of its power system. As electricity demand grows through electric vehicles and the electrification of heating and cooling, interconnection and energy storage will become increasingly important.
Poullikkas describes the two as complementary forms of flexibility: storage moves electricity across time, while interconnectors move it between locations.
A Wider Regional Opportunity
The project could also give Cyprus a broader role in the region. Poullikkas points to French company Meridiam becoming the majority shareholder in the Great Sea Interconnector, which he says could support its financial and technical development.
He also highlights the GSI’s connection to wider discussions around the Eastern Mediterranean Gateway Act and the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). A future energy corridor could potentially link renewable resources in India and the Middle East with European markets through Israel, Cyprus and Greece.
Such a development could shift Cyprus from an energy consumer to an intermediary hub connecting European markets with the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East.
Long-Term Strategy Required
Poullikkas stressed that this transformation would require more than the GSI itself. Cyprus would need sustained investment in renewable energy, electricity networks, storage, digital infrastructure and further interconnections, backed by long-term political consistency.
He also warned against assessing the project solely through short-term fiscal considerations. Remaining disconnected has its own costs, including dependence on imported fuels, limited renewable-energy integration and the need for additional reserves.
For Poullikkas, the GSI is therefore part of a much larger decision about Cyprus’s energy future.
“Previous generations handed us the infrastructure on which we built today’s Cyprus. It is our responsibility to hand future generations the infrastructure on which they will build their own,” he said.
Tech Race Summit Brings Top Tech Leaders To Warsaw
Tech Race Summit, organised by SOFTSWISS, will take place in Warsaw on 10 September 2026 at Centrum Praskie Koneser, Plac Konesera 8. The event will bring together more than 30 international speakers and 1,000 attendees for what the organiser describes as “the first cross-industry forum to exchange ideas, technologies, and expertise, driving the future of large-scale digital products.”
The summit gathers engineers, technology executives, infrastructure specialists, and product teams to discuss how companies respond to growing technical complexity, cybersecurity challenges, and the rapid adoption of AI across business operations and consumer products. Speakers and contributors have been confirmed from big-name companies including AWS, Oracle, Cloudflare, Google, Fastly, Tesla, PandaDoc, Shazam, Gcore, ScyllaDB, and others.
The Keynote Line-up
Andrey Doronichev, founder and CEO of Optic and former Google executive, will deliver a keynote on how AI is changing industries and work. Doronichev spent 14 years at Google, where he helped develop products used by billions of people worldwide.
Javier Verdura, Global Director of Product Design at Tesla, will present “Building High-Performance Teams: Lessons from Tesla.” His session will explore how a globally recognised technology company builds teams capable of delivering products at speed while maintaining quality and innovation.
Mikita Mikado, co-founder and Chief Product Officer of PandaDoc, will deliver “Building the Next Silicon Valley Businesses.” PandaDoc is an agreement-management company that reached a valuation of $1 billion in 2021. In his keynote, Mikado will share lessons from scaling PandaDoc into a global software company.
They are joined by Dhiraj Mukherjee, co-founder of Shazam, and Artur Bergman, founder and CTO of Fastly, whose sessions will address technology shifts and the future of internet infrastructure. Ivan Montik, founder of SOFTSWISS, is scheduled to open the summit.
Cross-Industry Forum For High-Load Businesses
As online gaming businesses grow across regulated markets, they face many of the same questions as global technology companies, especially how to build high-performing teams, develop products at scale, and compete for talent whilst maintaining speed of execution. By bringing together leaders who have been there, done that from Tesla, PandaDoc, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Oracle, Cloudflare, and other global technology companies, Tech Race Summit creates a forum where these experiences can be shared across industries.
The programme covers cloud architecture, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, engineering leadership, observability, product development, and company building. All sessions are held in English.
Sergey Kastukevich, Chief Technology Officer at SOFTSWISS, describes the summit’s origin as follows:
“Tech Race Summit was created to bring together people solving difficult technology problems and to explore what the future of technology holds.”
Kastukevich adds to the cross-industry framing:
“The technology challenges facing iGaming today extend well beyond infrastructure. Building successful technology companies also depends on leadership, product thinking, and the ability to scale teams as the business grows […] Our goal is to give attendees practical insights they can apply to their own organisations, regardless of the industry they work in.”
Three-Track Programme
The summit runs across three parallel conference stages. The Vision Track features keynotes and discussions about AI, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and technology strategy. The Solution Track focuses on technical sessions and case studies from engineers and architects working on modern digital systems. The Experiment Track covers technical deep-dives, implementation lessons, and engineering practices.
Attendance And Registration
The offline event is sold out. Online streaming tickets remain available through the event website. Sponsorship information is also available through the summit’s partnership page.
For more information and ticket details, follow the link here.
About SOFTSWISS
SOFTSWISS is an international technology company that has developed solutions for the iGaming industry since 2009. The company provides software for managing online gaming projects and supports more than 1,500 brands worldwide. SOFTSWISS’ product portfolio includes the Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator, the Sportsbook, and the Prediction Markets Platform. The company has more than 2,000 employees across its international locations, including Malta, Poland, and Georgia.
AI Is Everywhere, But Consumers Are Growing More Skeptical
AI is advancing rapidly, but public enthusiasm is moving in the opposite direction. Recent surveys show that more Americans are becoming concerned about the technology, while growing opposition to data centers is turning AI’s social acceptance into a business and political challenge.
A Pew Research study found that 52% of Americans are now “more concerned than excited” about the growing use of AI in daily life, up from 37% in 2021. A May Economist/YouGov poll also found that more than 70% believe AI is developing too quickly.
The political backlash is becoming harder to ignore. Axios reported that the National Republican Senatorial Committee warned major AI companies that data center projects could hurt Republican candidates in a key Ohio election.
AI’s Growing Reputation Problem
Public concern is also showing up among younger Americans. A CNBC poll found that most respondents aged 18 to 34 did not trust nine leading AI executives to act responsibly on AI.
For many consumers, AI is increasingly associated with chatbots, AI-powered search and features appearing inside everyday products, rather than with major improvements to their lives. Google has transformed Search with AI, while companies are adding AI to products ranging from email to televisions.
At the same time, people are hearing about AI being used by students to cheat, while companies face disputes over copyrighted material used to train models and generate art, music, video and writing.
That combination is creating a difficult perception: consumers are being asked to accept the disruption caused by AI without necessarily seeing enough personal benefit in return.
Data Centers Add To The Backlash
The problem extends beyond software. Tech companies are spending enormous sums building AI data centers, but communities are increasingly pushing back over issues including electricity demand, water use and infrastructure.
According to The Wall Street Journal, companies are responding with additional incentives such as employment commitments and investments in local infrastructure. One Louisiana project even included $50,000 bonuses for teachers.
Meanwhile, some consumers are gravitating toward technology that feels deliberately less connected. Young people are showing renewed interest in dumbphones, point-and-shoot cameras, cassette players and CD players. AI-free classic iPods are also attracting attention, while offline hobbies and in-person activities are gaining popularity.
The Industry Is Starting To Take Notice
Some technology executives believe the backlash is partly a communication problem. Others are increasingly acknowledging that consumers may understand AI perfectly well but simply don’t consider its current benefits worth the trade-offs.
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky recently said on a podcast that the industry needs to build products that ordinary people genuinely value, rather than focusing primarily on AI itself.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei similarly described negative perceptions of AI as a “big problem” and a “crisis of trust” in a post on X. In his view, the strongest response would be for AI companies to actually deliver on their biggest promises, including breakthroughs that could significantly improve people’s lives.
For an industry that has attracted hundreds of billions of dollars on the expectation that AI will transform everyday life, technological progress alone may no longer be enough. The bigger challenge could be convincing people that they are actually better off because of it.
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