AI startup Artisan used KC Green's iconic 'This is fine' comic in an ad campaign without permission. The creator called them out publicly, reigniting the debate about AI companies and creative IP.
These no-thought AI losers aren't untouchable and memes just don't come out of thin air.
AI startup Artisan used the iconic "This is fine" comic in an advertising campaign. The problem: they did not ask the artist who created it.
KC Green, the cartoonist behind the Gunshow webcomic, created the "This is fine" panel in 2013. It became one of the most widely shared memes on the internet. Green has consistently defended his rights to the work, pushing back against NFT projects and unlicensed merchandise.
Artisan is the company behind billboards urging businesses to "stop hiring humans." Their latest ad incorporated Green's artwork without permission or payment. Green responded publicly, calling them "no-thought AI losers" and pointing out that "memes just don't come out of thin air."
When TechCrunch contacted Artisan, the company said it had "a lot of respect for KC Green and his work" and was scheduling time to speak with him directly. The standard corporate response after getting caught.
The year KC Green published the 'This is fine' comic. Over a decade of cultural impact, and an AI company still thought they could use it without asking.
This is not just an IP dispute. It is a pattern. AI companies have built a culture of taking first and negotiating later. Training data scraped without consent. Creative work used in marketing without licensing. The assumption that internet culture is free to exploit.
Why it matters
For marketers, this is a practical warning about brand risk. Using unlicensed creative assets in campaigns, whether memes, illustrations or photography, creates legal exposure and reputational damage. The rules have not changed just because AI companies behave as if they do not exist.
The backlash against Artisan was immediate and widespread. In an environment where consumers and creators are increasingly hostile toward AI companies that disrespect creative work, associating your brand with that behaviour is a liability.
For Australian businesses using AI tools to generate marketing content, the IP question is not theoretical. If your AI tool produces something that closely resembles existing work, you bear the risk. Not the tool provider.