KC Green, the creator of the iconic 2013 'This Is Fine' webcomic, says AI startup Artisan stole his artwork for a subway ad campaign in New York. The ad, which promotes Artisan's AI sales agent Ava, shows the cartoon dog in a burning room with a modified speech bubble: 'My pipeline is on fire.'
Artisan, which raised $25 million in April 2025 and previously used 'Stop Hiring Humans' billboards, did not obtain Green's consent. Green discovered the theft after being tagged on social media by an Emmy-winning writer.
Green said he's exploring legal representation and compared the situation to Matt Furie's 2019 settlement with Infowars over unauthorized use of Pepe the Frog.
'This is not anything I agreed to,' Green wrote. 'It's been stolen like AI steals.'
Artisan has since said it 'has a lot of respect' for Green and scheduled a call. Green is not optimistic. The incident underscores a growing pattern of AI companies using copyrighted material without permission.