2023 was a big year for data. In an era of business enamoured with becoming data-driven; leaders scrambling to get an AI strategy in place and data privacy concerns at an all-time high, conversations around data remain incredibly important for those making waves in the enterprise tech community.
So what have been the biggest headlines of the year? Which talking points have dominated the world of data? And what have data thought leaders really been focused on in the run-up to 2024?
In this article, we’ll be going through our data round-up of 2023.
Implementing AI isn’t as easy as it sounds
It’s no surprise that artificial intelligence, especially generative AI, has shaken up the world of work. Especially when it comes to dealing with exorbitant amounts of data, the idea of automating the workload away is incredibly attractive to leaders within the space.
But is it really that easy?
All of the experts we could find at Big Data LDN spoke about AI. Some of the conclusions drawn from our on-site interviews included:
- "Data is the limiting factor in AI" - Anthony Cosgrove, Co-Founder at Harbr
- "We're starting to understand the actual capabilities of AI" - Susan Walsh, Founder and MD at The Classification Guru
- "Gen AI without reliable data is a recipe for disaster!" - Niamh O'Brian, Solution Architecture Senior Manager at Fivetran
- "You need a solid data strategy before jumping into AI" - Christina Stathopolous, Founder of Dare to Data
Data leadership has changed forever
As businesses look to become more data-driven - and the volume, variety and velocity of that data continues to escalate - the role of data leaders has become increasingly pivotal.
Conversations with these data leaders themselves, like my interview with Martin French, Chief Technology Data Officer at Apex Group, outlined just where that data leadership is heading, as well as some great advice for some of the more trickier challenges.
This year, enterprises increasingly embrace data-driven approaches, utilising tools to enhance decision-making, optimise processes, and deliver personalised experiences.
Fostering a data-driven culture involves understanding and leveraging customer intent, allowing companies to continuously improve and create differentiated experiences when customers lead.
- David Argent, Client Director at EM360
Privacy and compliance concerns are a serious problem
No surprise here, but there was plenty to talk about in the GRC space in the wake of both the White House and UK parliament banning TikTok from government devices, as well as Meta being slammed with a €1.2 billion fine over EU-US data transfers back in May.
Events are critical for innovation
EM360 were proud to be official media partners of several leading data events, including Big Data LDN 2023 in London.
The DatAvengers assembled at the EM360 stand for an exclusive live stream and unboxing!
This year’s conference featured 15 theatres and 300 speakers, with keynote presentations and panels exploring everything from generative AI to datamesh to observability.
Attendees learnt from pioneers, experts and real-world case studies, discovering new tools and techniques to deliver business value from successful data projects from some of the brightest minds in the industry.
It was clear from being at the event that get-togethers like this were not just sorely missed during the pandemic, but greatly needed for the kinds of collaboration and innovation that high-level conversation can foster.
From my perspective on 2023, it appears that data observability and data quality are the most highly sought-after and essential solutions for data-driven organizations.
This aligns with the projected need to proactively address and prevent unnecessary expenses linked to poor data quality. Additionally, the popularity of Generative AI and Machine Learning is on the rise, reflecting their increasing influence daily, along with the challenges that come with their expanding usage.
- Michelle Pugh, Data Management Specialist at EM360
Observability is key in trusting your data
Our round up of the top observability trends and top observability tools of the year made one thing clear; having trust in your data is a big benefit of an effective observability plan.
By introducing data observability, organisations say they can understand the overall health of their data, reduce the risks associated with erroneous analytics, and proactively solve problems by addressing their root causes.
As businesses increasingly take steps towards cloud transformation - modernising their data environments to support advanced analytics and drive more powerful decision-making - the ability to trust their data will become ever more critical.
Podcasts remain king for finding data solutions
Podcast marketing has exploded in popularity. An estimated 75 million Americans listen to podcasts at least once a month (a quarter of the US population), and a recent EM360 survey of tech customers said that bespoke content like podcasts and whitepapers were the number one way they found the correct data solution for them.
Podcast advertising is very intimate, but when done right, it can reach real scale and get to a lot of listeners which is very unique.
- Kara Silverman, global head of marketing and communications at Acast
With over 100+ podcasts and 250+ articles released in this year alone, stay tuned to EM360 as we continue to produce great content for our clients, listeners and industry experts within the enterprise tech space.
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