Artisan faces backlash over unauthorized use of This is fine meme

The artificial intelligence startup Artisan appears to have incorporated the This is fine comic into an ad campaign without permission, prompting its creator, artist KC Green, to allege that the company stole his art. The advertisement features Green’s cartoon dog stating that his pipeline is on fire, alongside an overlaid message urging viewers to hire Ava, the startup’s AI Business Development Representative (BDR). The original comic, which features an anthropomorphic dog, first appeared in Green’s webcomic, Gunshow, in 2013. Green publicly criticized the campaign, noting that he has been receiving messages from people pointing out the ad and confirming he did not agree to the use of his work. He characterized the advertisement as having been stolen like AI steals, and he encouraged his followers to vandalize the ads if they see them.

In response, Artisan stated that the company has a lot of respect for Green and his work, and representatives are reaching out to him directly to discuss the matter. The startup previously ran ads urging businesses to stop hiring humans. Jaspar Carmichael-Jack, the founder and CEO of Artisan, defended the message by stating that it targeted a category of work rather than humans at large.

Green is now exploring his options to protect his intellectual property. Green, the artist, stated that he is “looking into [legal] representation, as I feel I have to.” The artist expressed frustration over the situation, noting that it takes the wind out of his sails to spend time out of his life to try his hand at the American court system instead of focusing on drawing comics and stories. He added that these AI creators are not untouchable and emphasized that memes do not simply emerge from thin air. Other cartoonists have previously taken similar legal action when their work was used in commercial ways without their permission. For example, cartoonist Matt Furie sued the right-wing conspiracy theory site Infowars, a dispute that the parties eventually settled.

Why it matters

This incident highlights the growing friction between AI companies and creators over intellectual property, as artists increasingly turn to the legal system to challenge the unauthorized commercial use of their work.