Page 79 - CMA Journal (July-August 2025)

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5) Spatial Computing and Immersive salinity between fresh and saltwater to generate renewable
Digital Twins energy. Small modular reactors offer safer, more scalable
nuclear power.
Spatial computing integrates AR, VR, and IoT-driven digital
twins to create interactive simulations of real-world The International Energy Agency (IEA) reports clean energy
environments. These technologies are redefining design, investment reached $1.7 trillion in 2024 and will surpass $2
training, and operations in industries from aerospace to trillion in 2025, marking a global commitment to a net-zero
healthcare. Engineers can test virtual prototypes in real future.
time, while surgeons can rehearse procedures on lifelike “Technology is the only way we can scale solutions fast
digital replicas of human anatomy.
enough to meet climate goals.” — Bernard Marr, Futurist
Grand View Research predicts the AR/VR market will reach 9) Frugal Innovation and Inclusive Tech
$94.4 billion by 2030, and McKinsey Digital reports Development
immersive tools can shorten decision-making cycles by up
to 30%. By enabling teams to collaborate in shared virtual Frugal innovation delivers maximum value at minimal cost,
spaces regardless of location, spatial computing is breaking using locally available resources and open-source designs.
down the barriers of geography and cost. Examples include 3D-printed prosthetics for underserved
regions, solar microgrids powering rural communities, and
6) AI-Optimized Hardware and Edge
Computing low-cost water purification devices.
According to UNESCO, community-led technology projects
AI’s insatiable demand for computing power is driving have increased by 40% annually since 2022. These
innovation in hardware. Specialized processors such as initiatives are not only affordable but are designed for
GPUs, TPUs, and neuromorphic chips are designed to resilience, enabling communities to maintain and repair
handle the parallel processing tasks that AI models require. their own solutions without reliance on costly imports.
This hardware evolution is complemented by edge
computing, which processes data near its source to reduce 10) Responsible AI and Ethical Governance
latency and network congestion.
The widespread adoption of AI brings with it questions of
Gartner forecasts that by the end of 2025, 75% of enterprise accountability, transparency, and environmental impact.
data will be processed at the edge, a critical shift for Responsible AI ensures that automated decision-making is
applications like autonomous vehicles, predictive explainable, bias-free, and aligned with human values. AI
maintenance in manufacturing, and real-time medical minimalism — deploying AI only where it delivers
diagnostics. These advancements not only improve speed measurable benefit — is emerging as a guiding principle.
but also enhance data privacy by minimizing the need to PwC reports that 75% of large organizations now
send sensitive information to centralized servers.
incorporate ethical AI into governance frameworks. The IEA
7) Post-Quantum Security and warns that without sustainable practices, data centers
Cryptographic Resilience could consume up to 4% of global electricity by 2030,
making ethical deployment both a moral and operational
Quantum computing promises enormous computational necessity.
power but also poses a serious threat to current encryption
standards. Post-quantum cryptography (PQC) is the “It’ll be ten times bigger than the Industrial Revolution — and
development of algorithms resistant to quantum attacks, maybe ten times faster.” — Demis Hassabis, CEO, DeepMind
ensuring data remains secure in a post-quantum world.
Conclusion
The U.S. NIST is on track to standardize PQC algorithms by The technology trends of 2025 reveal an era of
2026, and large enterprises are expected to begin broad unprecedented capability coupled with significant
adoption soon after. Cybersecurity Ventures warns that responsibility. From invisible AI agents to clean energy
without these upgrades, global cybercrime costs could breakthroughs, the challenge for leaders is to integrate
climb to $13.8 trillion annually by 2028. Industries such as these advances strategically, ensuring they are ethically
finance, defense, and healthcare are among the first to test sound, sustainable, and inclusive. Organizations that
PQC in mission-critical systems.
achieve this balance will set the standard for innovation in
“Quantum will break today’s encryption the years ahead.
— the race to replace it is already on.”
About the Author: Alia Noor is an Associate Partner at Ahmad
8) Sustainable Technology and Clean Alagbari Chartered Accountants and also holds the position of Director
Energy Innovation VAT in the LEA Consultant & Director Program at Alif Technologies. She
has been associated with EY and Unilever Pakistan for external and
The urgency of climate change is accelerating innovation in internal audits. She is the founder and owner of “XpertsLeague,” a free
clean technology. Structural battery composites can store learning platform. She holds professional qualifications including
energy within a product’s framework, reducing weight and FCMA, CIMA, and MBA, along with certifications in the Oxford Fintech

improving efficiency — a breakthrough for electric vehicles Program, Digital Mindset, COSO Enterprise Risk Management, COSO
Internal Control, and GCC VAT Diploma.
and aircraft. Osmotic power plants harness the difference in
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