Techy threatened with bloodied pig’s head, angry letter after introducing AI into real estate market

An artificial intelligence developer was threatened this week after the news ran a segment about how he’s revolutionizing the real estate industry.

The drama started in June, when Las Vegas station KLAS ran a segment about how Blake Owens, the founder of the AI startup Agrippa, is revolutionizing the real estate industry with his AI technology:

The segment introduced the public to “Marcus,” an AI tool designed to help field and tackle property bids.

“Owens, a Las Vegas native, said he understands some might be uncertain about the introduction of AI into any field but touted the use of ‘Marcus’ as a growing trend for the real estate industry,” the station reported.

“I certainly understand there are hesitations,” he himself said. “But it’s moving very, very fast, and it’s only going to move faster. And the longer you resist, the more you’re going to fall behind.”

Someone did not take kindly to his rhetoric.

On July 29, roughly a month after the segment aired, some deranged lunatic mailed a bloodied pig’s head and letter to Owens. The letter was very dismissive of his AI tech.

“Clark Kent knockoff, a simple Google search goes a long way these days, especially in Vegas,” the letter read. “Saw your Marcus video, what a joke. ‘AI’ is not going to replace brokers.”

“Clearly you don’t understand real estate wasn’t built by developers or investors. And it sure as hell wasn’t built by tech guys in Lulu Lemon. It was built by brokers,” it continued.

“We did it the hard way. No shortcuts, no tech, just people. So enjoy your moment while it lasts. And don’t get greedy because pigs get fat and hogs get slaughtered,” it concluded.

Owens is taking the threat seriously but suspects he wasn’t truly threatened, per se.

“Perhaps this person watched too much of ‘The Godfather,’” he explained, referencing a scene from the movie involving a horse’s head. “Needless to say, I still take it very seriously, but don’t feel like I’m being truly threatened. It was a message.”

He also stressed that he isn’t trying to destroy jobs but rather help people, such as those in the real estate industry, embrace AI.

“[Winston Churchill] said to be perfect is to change often,” he said. “I think a lot of people are afraid of change and what’s coming with AI, because it really is a tsunami of change that people are trying to resist.”

“But the more you embrace it, the better you’ll do, the more skills that you’ll accumulate — more value you’ll bring to the table,” he added.

A number of companies operating in the area have already embraced AI, including MGM Resorts, the Otonomous Hotel, and TensorWave.

“You look at Agrippa, TensorWave, look at Otonomous Hotel — everyone is trying to bring AI to the forefront, and it sheds some light on how great this city is and what we can do with the talent we have here,” Owens said.

“May ruffle some feathers in the process, but in the long run, I think that it’s the best thing to do,” he added.

Amazingly, he has no ill will for the disturbed lunatic who mailed him a bloodied pig’s head.

“I don’t want to punch down on this person; they may be in a tough spot in life,” he mercifully said. “I do see this as an opportunity to show people you don’t become a better person by making another man a lesser person.”

“I understand this person is probably just frustrated that business isn’t going well for them, and then they see AI replacement stories on top of that,” he said in separate remarks made to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “And I just so happen to be someone they can focus their frustration on.”

Owens told the Review-Journal that the sender of the disturbing package signed their name as “Marcus Agrippa,” a Roman figure with the same name as his AI tech.

“Is this a message that you know your own AI is turning against you?” he asked facetiously. “I wasn’t quite sure how to interpret it.”

The local police, meanwhile, have filed a harassment report but have no intention of doing anything even if the sender’s identity is uncovered, thanks to Owens’s lack of interest in pursuing charges.

Senior Staff Writer
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V. Saxena is a staff writer for BizPac Review with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University.

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