Actually multi rotor electrics can handle engine failures quite easy. This is not a 1950's era lycoming which is what the regulations are designed around.
And you are right - this will never happen first in highly regulated countries. Which is why they are doing it in the UAE and elsewhere first.
Once this kind of concept has a million hours of real life operational data and a public screaming out for it, the regulators will have no choice: the politicians will tell them to make it happen.
The article is deliberately sensational, yes. But I think the author also doesn't realise they may actually be covering something big developing over the next 10+ years, even though it's probably not going to be Uber's concept that gets there.