IT Essentials: Welcome back

What's in store for the year ahead?

One topic defined 2023, but 2024 is set to be more nuanced, with regulation and data privacy already emerging as front-runners.

Happy new year! Welcome back to Computing, where we bring you the in-depth research, analysis and insights IT leaders like you rely on - now in our 51st year of publication. That's right, we're older than the internet, the PC and the VW Golf (all turning 50 in 2024).

Last year is being heralded as the official start of the Age of AI - despite ChatGPT launching in 2022 - and it's true that the last 12 months marked rapid change and new levels of interest in the technology. This year, we expect the risks of AI to play a larger part in the conversation, with formalised regulations around the world following the path forged by the EU's AI Act - though the UK is so far staying more light touch.

But, AI is far from the only news in town. Continuing the theme of regulation, data privacy is also in the spotlight, with the ICO stepping in at the end of last year to issue a stern warning to websites breaking cookie compliance rules; and, this week, Google announced a new feature to block tracking cookies in Chrome.

While regulators have so far been lacklustre on enforcing cookie consent laws, 2024 may mark a shift in their approach (only six years after GDPR came in - better late than never).

And as for your favourite IT publication, we have a big year ahead of us. After half a century focused on the UK and Europe, we're very excited be opening a new office in the USA to cover North American tech from a domestic perspective, with our sister brand MES; watch this space for more news.

We also have our traditional slate of top-class events to look forward to, including the Cybersecurity Festival in May, IT Leaders Summit in October and Women in Tech Festival in November; and if that's not enough, we'll also be running a host of awards to celebrate the industry's ongoing success, including the DevOps Excellence and Security Excellence Awards in the first half of the year.

It's going to be a great year, and I look forward to sharing it with you.