“This is good” artist KC Green reaches agreement with artificial intelligence startup Artisan

After criticizing a startup called Artisan for misusing his work, artist KC Green — creator of the popular “This is Fine” meme — said he has reached an agreement with Artisan.

The dispute arose after the startup appeared to be using a version of Green’s art to promote its AI assistant Ava. In Artisan’s bus and subway ads, Green’s signature dog sat amidst recognizable flames, but instead of saying “That’s good,” he announced, “My pipeline’s on fire,” while the ad urged people to “Hire Ava the AI ​​BDR.”

Earlier this month, Green posted on social media that his artwork was being “stolen like AI being stolen” and urged his followers to “sabotage” the ads if they saw them. He also told TechCrunch that he was frustrated with having to “try my hand at the American court system” instead of devoting that time to his comics.

Meanwhile, Artisan told us he has “a lot of respect for Greene and his work.” Then, earlier this week, founder and CEO Jasper Carmichael Jack said the two sides had reached an agreement.

When TechCrunch reached out to Green, he confirmed that they “reached a settlement very quickly,” with Artisan removing ads in New York and San Francisco that used his persona, and Green removing his initial post.