KC Green says Artisan AI stole 'This is fine' comic for subway ad
kc green, creator of the 'this is fine' meme, accused ai startup artisan of stealing his 2013 webcomic for a subway ad campaign. the ad, which replaces the dog's speech with 'my pipeline is on fire' to promote artisan's 'ava' ai employee, ran without green's permission. green stated the ad 'has been stolen like ai steals' and urged the public to vandalize it. artisan claims it is reaching out to green directly.
Artisan, an AI startup creating autonomous agents, faces plagiarism accusations from artist KC Green. Green verified that a subway ad campaign for Artisan's 'Ava' BDR bot utilized his 2013 'This is fine' artwork without consent. The ad alters the text to 'My pipeline is on fire' and urges hiring the AI agent. Green explicitly stated he did not agree to the usage, calling it theft and encouraging public vandalism of the ads. Artisan responded to inquiries by stating it respects Green's work and is attempting to contact him, while Green seeks legal representation.