‘This is Fine’ Meme Creator Accuses AI Startup Artisan of Art Theft

KC Green, the artist behind one of the internet’s most enduring memes — an anthropomorphic dog sitting calmly amid flames saying “This is fine” — has accused AI startup Artisan of using his work in an advertising campaign without authorization.

A post on Bluesky appears to show a subway station ad featuring Green’s artwork, but with the dog saying “My pipeline is on fire” and a message urging commuters to “Hire Ava the AI BDR.”

Green, quoting the post, said he had “been getting more folks telling me about this” and that “it’s not anything I agreed to.” He described the ad as having “been stolen like AI steals” and told followers to “please vandalize it if and when you see it.”

TechCrunch contacted Artisan for comment. The company responded: “We have a lot of respect for KC Green and his work, and we’re reaching out to him directly.” In a follow-up, Artisan said it had scheduled time to speak with Green.

A History of Controversial Advertising

This is not the first time Artisan has courted controversy. The company previously drew widespread criticism for billboards urging businesses to “Stop hiring humans.” Founder and CEO Jaspar Carmichael-Jack defended the campaign, insisting the message referred to “a category of work,” not “humans at large.”

Artists Fighting Back

“This is fine” first appeared in Green’s webcomic “Gunshow” in 2013. Green is far from the only artist to see his work used in ways he finds objectionable. Cartoonist Matt Furie, for example, sued conspiracy site Infowars for using his character Pepe the Frog in a poster — the two eventually settled.

Green told TechCrunch via email that he will be “looking into [legal] representation, as I feel I have to.” However, he added that it “takes the wind out of my sails” to spend time navigating the legal system “instead of putting that back into what I am passionate about, which is drawing comics and stories.”

“These no-thought A.I. losers aren’t untouchable and memes just don’t come out of thin air,” Green said.

The incident reopens broader questions about the ethical and legal boundaries of AI companies using copyrighted material for commercial promotion.

Source: TechCrunch