# *Detailed SUMMARY of the article “Powering the future” by Asad Baig, Published in Dawn on June 2nd, 2025:* The article challenges the selective criticism of *AI* and *cryptocurrency*’s environmental impact in *Pakistan*, arguing that the focus on their *energy* and *water consumption* stems from resistance to technological disruption rather than genuine *climate justice*. It compares the energy use of *AI prompts* to culturally accepted activities like *Netflix binge-watching* or *social media scrolling*, which escape similar scrutiny. The *government*’s plan to allocate *two gigawatts* of power for *AI data centers* and *crypto mining* has sparked a *moral panic*, which the author sees as a reaction to new players challenging bureaucratic and elite control, not just environmental concerns. The article advocates for responsibly managing *emerging technologies* through *transparent energy reporting*, *clean energy integration*, and *green infrastructure*, rather than halting progress. Globally, it calls for *binding sustainability protocols* via forums like the *United Nations*. For *crypto*, the focus should shift to *transparent regulation*, *governance*, and *financial inclusion* for the unbanked, rather than allowing elites to dominate. A *consultative regulatory framework* involving *technologists*, *civil society*, and *financial experts* is needed, alongside *public literacy* and *consumer protections*, to ensure *crypto* supports *remittances*, *savings*, and *digital ownership* equitably. # *Easy/Short SUMMARY*: Outrage over *AI* and *crypto*’s energy use in *Pakistan* masks fear of *technological disruption*. The *two-gigawatt* allocation for *AI* and *crypto mining* faces misplaced criticism. *Pakistan* should pursue *sustainable tech* with *transparent energy use* and *green infrastructure*. *Crypto* needs *transparent regulations* for *financial inclusion*, supported by *public literacy* and *consumer protections*, not elite control. # *SOLUTIONS of The Problem*: ## *1. Promote Energy Transparency* Require *data centers* to report *energy* and *water consumption* for accountability. ## *2. Adopt Clean Energy* Incentivize *renewable energy* for *AI* and *crypto* operations. ## *3. Build Green Infrastructure* Develop *sustainable systems* to support *emerging technologies*. ## *4. Advocate Global Standards* Push for *binding environmental protocols* at *UN* or global bodies for *tech sustainability*. ## *5. Create Inclusive Regulations* Develop *crypto regulations* with input from *technologists*, *civil society*, and *financial experts*. ## *6. Ensure Financial Inclusion* Design *crypto systems* to enable *remittances*, *savings*, and *digital ownership* for the unbanked. ## *7. Enhance Public Literacy* Educate citizens on *crypto* to foster informed engagement. ## *8. Implement Consumer Protections* Establish *safeguards* to protect *crypto users* from exploitation. ## *9. Prevent Elite Domination* Block politically connected actors from monopolizing *crypto profits*. ## *10. Balance Innovation and Sustainability* Integrate *AI* and *crypto growth* with *environmental* and *social priorities*. # *IMPORTANT Facts and Figures Given in the article*: - *Pakistan* plans to allocate *two gigawatts* of power for *AI data centers* and *crypto mining*. - Criticism of *AI* and *crypto* centers on their *energy* and *water use*. - *Crypto* could enable *financial inclusion* for millions without access to *traditional banking*. # *IMPORTANT Facts and Figures out of the article*: - *AI data centers* consume *1–2%* of global electricity (*IEA*, 2024). - *Crypto mining* uses *0.4%* of global energy (*Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index*, 2024). - *Pakistan*’s renewable energy share is *4.1%* of total power (*NEPRA*, 2024). - *60%* of *Pakistan*’s population lacks *formal banking* access (*World Bank*, 2023). - *Global AI market* projected to reach *$1.8 trillion* by 2030 (*Statista*, 2024). - *Pakistan*’s internet penetration is *40%* in 2024 (*PTA*, 2024). # *MCQs from the Article*: ### 1. *What triggers criticism of AI and crypto in Pakistan, per the article?* A. Security concerns *B. Energy and water use* C. Regulatory gaps D. Financial risks ### 2. *What activity does the author compare AI prompts’ energy use to?* A. Online gaming *B. Netflix binge-watching* C. Cloud computing D. E-commerce transactions ### 3. *How much power is Pakistan dedicating to AI and crypto?* A. One gigawatt *B. Two gigawatts* C. Three gigawatts D. Four gigawatts ### 4. *What does the article propose instead of banning AI and crypto?* A. Ignoring environmental issues *B. Responsible management* C. Limiting tech access D. Nationalizing tech industries ### 5. *What is a key potential benefit of crypto for Pakistan?* A. Increased tax revenue *B. Financial inclusion* C. Energy savings D. Political leverage # *VOCABULARY*: 1. *Sanctimonious* (منافقانہ) – Pretending moral superiority 2. *Alarmism* (خوفناک پیش گوئی) – Exaggerated warnings 3. *Extravagant* (فضول خرچ) – Excessive or wasteful 4. *Scrutiny* (جانچ پڑتال) – Careful examination 5. *Performative* (نمائشی) – Done for show 6. *Inertia* (سستی) – Resistance to change 7. *Masquerading* (بہروپ بھرنا) – Pretending to be something else 8. *Frontier* (سرحدی) – Cutting-edge areas 9. *Siphoned* (چوری چھپے نکالنا) – Secretly diverted 10. *Bureaucracy* (نوکر شاہی) – Administrative system 11. *Imperatives* (لازمی امور) – Essential priorities 12. *Stringent* (سخت) – Strict or rigorous 13. *Speculative* (قیاسی) – Risk-based or uncertain 14. *Remittances* (ترسیلات زر) – Money sent by migrants 15. *Guardrails* (حدود) – Protective boundaries 16. *Gatekeeping* (راستہ روکنا) – Controlling access 17. *Legitimate* (جائز) – Lawful or genuine 18. *Marginalise* (حاشیے پر دھکیلنا) – Exclude or sideline 19. *Consultation* (مشاورت) – Collaborative decision-making 20. *Inclusive* (شمولیتی) – Including all groups 📢 *Attention Please!* We appreciate your commitment to acquiring knowledge through our summaries. 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Click the link below to join now 🔗 [Dawn Article Summaries](https://cssmcqs.com/dawn-editorials-articles-summary-for-students-pdf-download/) *WhatsApp Channel Link*: [https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va7tT3o35fLnJeFbpS2y](https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va7tT3o35fLnJeFbpS2y) --- *www.dawn.com* *‘Powering the future’* *Asad Baig* *6–8 minutes* “FOR every prompt on ChatGPT, the cost is a bottle of water spilled”, read a post I recently came across on my timeline; an attempt to moralise the environmental cost of every AI prompt. The implication was clear: that interacting with generative AI, particularly large language models (LLMs), is somehow an extravagant and irresponsible use of electricity. It is the kind of sanctimonious alarmism that sounds intelligent until you hold it up to basic scrutiny. Because if we’re going to start measuring digital behaviour by the drop, let’s at least be consistent. How many litres are poured into the void eve­ry time someone binge-watches an entire season on Netflix in HD? How many hours are spent mi­­ndlessly refreshing timelines, watching algorithmically served rage bait, or uploading the fifth fil­­tered version of a sunset or a workout video for some Instagram validation? These, too, are digital actions. They, too, have a carbon cost. But somehow, they escape critique, not because they’re cleaner but because they’re culturally familiar. We’ve normalised that waste, so we don’t see it. It’s not that AI and crypto shouldn’t be held to environmental standards; they absolutely should. But let’s not pretend that the sudden concern about electricity and water consumption is rooted in climate justice. It’s not. It’s rooted in a deep discomfort with change, with disruption, and with technologies that threaten to redistribute power away from legacy structures, and towards something less familiar, less controllable, and potentially more liberating. This is much less about the energy, or the climate, and much more about inertia masquerading as morality. At the cost of repetition, the point is not to excuse AI’s energy demands but to highlight the absurdity of pretending that prompting GPT is where the guilt should begin. These criticisms aren’t rooted in environmental justice but the fear of technological disruption, especially of tools that could shift knowledge creation, creative production, and economic opportunity outside the gates of elite institutions. Pakistan’s newfound enthusiasm for crypto doesn’t have to follow the chaotic arc seen elsewhere. I’ve been noticing similar fear-mongering around Pakistan’s recent interest in crypto and AI, especially the chorus of concern over energy consumption. The government’s announcement to dedicate two gigawatts of power towards AI data centres and crypto mining has triggered a kind of moral panic that feels less about climate and more about control. Overnight, everyone’s turned into an energy auditor, as if this country hasn’t spent decades watching power get siphoned off by inefficient state-owned enterprises, bloated real estate empires, and unmetered political favour. Now, when the state finally signals an intention to invest in frontier tech, industries that might bring Pakistan into the modern digital economy, it’s met with outrage dressed up as environmentalism. Let’s be honest: this isn’t about the electricity. It’s about the shift. About newer, faster players entering spaces traditionally guarded by bureaucracy and old power structures. It’s about the fear of Pakistan participating in a world its critics no longer fully understand. If we’re serious about addressing the environmental cost of emerging technologies like AI and crypto, the answer is to steer it responsibly, and not outrightly shut it down. That means demanding transparency from data centres on their ener­­gy and water use, pushing for cleaner energy integration, and incentivising green infrastructure, not stoking public fear to stall progress. An inclusive approach understands that Pakistan, already trailing in tech, can’t afford to sit out the AI revolution. At the same time, it also can’t replicate the dirty models of the past. The task is to build a roadmap where innovation and sustainability are­­n’t seen as opposing forces but as twin imperatives. But that roadmap can’t be built in isolation. Voluntary commitments by tech companies to switch to clean energy have, time and again, proven inadequate. What’s needed now is serious advocacy that targets global forums, from the United Nations to international standard-setting bodies, to push for binding protocols that compel technology firms to meet stringent environmental obligations. The burden of sustainability cannot rest on consumer guilt or national regulation alone; it must be enforced at the level where tech power actually resides. As for Pakistan’s new love for crypto, there are far more pressing questions to be asked than the performative panic over electricity consumption. Who is shaping the regulatory framework? Who stands to benefit, and who might be excluded? Is this going to be another playground for politically connected actors to mine profit under the guise of innovation, or can it become a legitimate avenue for financial inclusion in a country where access to traditional banking remains out of reach for millions? The energy question is real, but it can’t be the only lens. We need to talk about transparency, governance, digital rights and whether this tech will empower or further marginalise. The conversation must move past the performative activism and dig into the architecture being quietly built. If we don’t shape it now, we’ll find ourselves locked out of systems that claim to be open. Pakistan’s newfound enthusiasm for crypto doesn’t have to follow the chaotic, exploitative arc seen elsewhere. This moment presents a chance to do it differently, to design systems that are transparent, inclusive, and locally rooted. Crypto can be more than just speculative trading and mining farms; it can be a way to reimagine financial access, to build tools for remittances, savings, and digital ownership for people excluded from formal banking. But that requires intent. We need a regulatory framework built in consultation with technologists, civil society, and financial experts, and not just the enforcement bodies. We need clarity, not criminalisation; guardrails, not gatekeeping. If Pakistan wants to embrace crypto, it must also invest in public literacy, consumer protections, and infrastructure that ensures the benefits are not just concentrated at the top. This doesn’t have to be a rushed gold rush. It can be a careful, deliberate step towards something fairer, but only if we’re brave enough to move past the performative actions. The writer is the founder of Media Matters for Democracy. Published in Dawn, June 2nd, 2025