‘This Is Fine’ Creator Accuses AI Startup of Using Meme
KC Green says AI startup Artisan ran a New York subway ad using his 2013 ‘This Is Fine’ meme without permission, changing the speech bubble to promote its AI agent Ava.
KC Green, the artist who created the 2013 ‘This Is Fine’ webcomic, reported that AI startup Artisan ran an unauthorized advertisement using his image in a New York subway station. The company altered the cartoon dog’s speech bubble to read ‘My pipeline is on fire’ and added an overlay urging commuters to ‘Hire Ava the AI BDR.’
Artisan, which raised $25 million in April 2025, promotes Ava as an AI-powered business development representative. The startup previously ran a ‘Stop Hiring Humans’ billboard campaign; CEO Jaspar Carmichael-Jack has described that campaign as a provocation meant to attract attention.
Green learned about the subway poster after a colleague tagged him on social media. He posted that multiple people had told him about the ad and that the use of his work was ‘not anything I agreed to.’ He also wrote, ‘It’s been stolen like AI steals,’ and asked followers to ‘Please vandalize it if and when you see it.’
Artisan issued a statement saying it has ‘a lot of respect for KC Green and his work’ and that company representatives had scheduled time to speak with him and were reaching out directly.
Green has said Artisan did not train a model on his work but took the original image, modified it with AI tools, and used the altered image in the physical advertisement. He is exploring legal representation and considering his options.
Green compared the situation to a 2019 copyright settlement involving another artist over unauthorized use of a character. The dispute is one of several recent conflicts over the use of images and likenesses in AI projects.
Earlier this year, a viral video used AI-generated likenesses of public figures without consent, and some creators objected when AI tools produced content resembling their logos and visual styles. Artists and creators have filed lawsuits and formal complaints related to AI training data and unapproved use of their work.
No formal lawsuit has been filed in the Artisan matter. Artisan says it is in contact with Green to address his concerns.
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