Artist KC Green, the creator of the famous "This is fine" meme, has reached a settlement agreement with artificial intelligence startup Artisan following allegations that the company used his work without permission for advertising. According to TechCrunch in late May 2026, both parties quickly found common ground to avoid a prolonged legal battle in US courts.
How it unfolded
The issue began when Artisan used Green's familiar image of a dog sitting in a fire for bus and subway advertising campaigns to promote its virtual assistant, Ava. However, instead of the original caption "This is fine," the dog in the ad said "My pipeline is on fire." Green subsequently criticized the startup harshly on social media, accusing them of "stealing art the way AI usually does" and calling on fans to deface the billboards.
Background
Following strong public backlash, Artisan founder and CEO Jaspar Carmichael-Jack stated that the company always respects Green's work and had proactively reached out to resolve the matter. Speaking to TechCrunch, artist KC Green confirmed that both sides had "reached a settlement pretty quickly." Under the agreement, Artisan agreed to pull all of the controversial advertisements in New York and San Francisco, while Green deleted his initial critical post in return.
Why it matters
This incident reflects the growing backlash from artists against tech companies exploiting creative works without permission to promote AI products. While this agreement was settled amicably out of court, it serves as a wake-up call for AI startups regarding the legal and ethical boundaries of using public intellectual property.