What are the key arguments in Anthony Rowley's critique of global leaders' response to uncontrolled AI adoption, including the comparisons to climate change and drone warfare, the dichotomy between promised economic benefits (especially for developing Asia) and emerging evidence

Let me search for Anthony Rowley's specific critique and the relevant contextLet me retrieve the full article to capture Rowley's specific argumentsHere are the key arguments from Anthony Rowley's opinion piece published in the South China Morning Post on August 15, 2026 , broken down by theme.

Core thesis: A failure of global leadership

Rowley argues that calling uncontrolled AI adoption a "mixed blessing" is a "grotesque understatement." He says it is a "miscalculated risk" reflecting a "sad and potentially tragic lack of responsible leadership," especially in Western nations .

Comparison to climate change and drone warfare

Rowley draws a direct parallel between global inaction on AI and the insufficient response to climate change and drone warfare. He writes that world leaders are "slumbering" on AI just as they seem "insufficiently concerned about the threats posed by climate change or drone warfare" . In each case, leaders have been "lulled to sleep by promises of AI's benefits to efficiency and profits" .

The promised economic benefits vs. AI "going rogue"

Rowley frames a stark dichotomy:

• The promised upside: Leaders assure the public that AI will raise productivity and economic growth, and will be a "particular blessing for developing countries, such as those in Asia, enabling them to leapfrog the centuries it took the West to reach its current state of development" .