AI Startup Artisan Accused of Using "This Is Fine" Comic in Subway Ads Without Artist's Consent

KC Green, the cartoonist behind the widely circulated "This is fine" meme, said on May 3 that AI startup Artisan incorporated his artwork into a subway ad campaign without his knowledge or permission.

A post on Bluesky appears to show an advertisement displayed in a subway station featuring Green's iconic image — an anthropomorphic dog sitting calmly amid flames — with the dialogue altered to read "my pipeline is on fire." The ad also carries an overlaid message urging commuters to "Hire Ava the AI BDR," a reference to Artisan's AI-powered sales representative product.

Green said he had been hearing from people about the advertisement and confirmed the use was unauthorized. "It's not anything I agreed to," he wrote. "It's been stolen like AI steals." He also urged followers to "please vandalize it if and when you see it."

In an email to Artisan, the company offered a brief response: "We have a lot of respect for KC Green and his work, and we're reaching out to him directly." In a subsequent message, the company said it had scheduled time to speak with him.

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

He also pushed back on the broader pattern of meme-based creative work being treated as freely available. "These no-thought A.I. losers aren't untouchable," Green said, "and memes just don't come out of thin air."

The "This is fine" dog first appeared in Green's webcomic "Gunshow" in 2013 and has since become one of the most widely reproduced images in internet culture, frequently used to depict resigned acceptance in the face of chaos or failure.

Artisan is no stranger to controversy over its advertising. The company previously drew criticism for billboards urging companies to "Stop hiring humans." Founder and CEO Jaspar Carmichael-Jack defended that campaign at the time, saying the message referred to "a category of work," not "humans at large."

Green's situation has precedent in the broader creative community. Cartoonist Matt Furie pursued legal action against conspiracy theory outlet Infowars for the unauthorized commercial use of his character Pepe the Frog in a poster; the two parties ultimately reached a settlement.

Whether Green pursues a similar path remains to be seen, but his public statements signal he is actively weighing his options — underscoring a growing tension between AI-era marketing practices and the intellectual property rights of individual creators.