KC Green and Artisan: Agreement on Meme Usage

The artist KC Green, known for his famous meme "This is fine," has recently reached an agreement with the artificial intelligence startup Artisan. This settlement comes after Green criticized the startup for using his work without permission.

The conflict erupted when Artisan used a modified version of Green's art to promote Ava, its AI assistant. In the advertisements, visible on buses and in the subway, Green's iconic dog was surrounded by flames, but instead of the original phrase "This is fine," it stated "My pipeline is on fire." The ad encouraged passersby to "Engage Ava, the AI BDR."

In response to this appropriation, Green expressed his dissatisfaction on social media. He accused the startup of "stealing like AI steals" and encouraged his followers to "vandalize" the ads if they encountered them. In an interview with TechCrunch, Green shared his frustration about having to resort to the American judicial system, preferring to dedicate his time to his creations.

For its part, Artisan claimed to have "a lot of respect for Green and his work." Earlier this week, Artisan's founder and CEO, Jaspar Carmichael-Jack, announced that an agreement had been reached between the two parties.

Contacted by TechCrunch, Green confirmed that the settlement was reached quickly. Artisan has removed the advertisements from New York and San Francisco that used his character, and Green has deleted his initial post on social media.