The startup that mocked SF with anti-human billboards defends its bold campaign saying AI itself is dystopian

The growing anxiety around AI replacing human workers has taken a controversial turn with a provocative billboard campaign in San Francisco that explicitly advocates against hiring humans.

Campaign Overview: Y-Combinator-backed company Artisan has launched a series of billboards in San Francisco promoting their AI-powered workforce automation software with deliberately provocative messaging.

• The billboards feature slogans like “Stop Hiring Humans” and “Artisans won’t complain about work-life balance”
• These advertisements are strategically placed throughout San Francisco, where they’re visible to the human workforce they suggest replacing
• One particularly pointed message takes aim at remote work culture: “Artisan’s Zoom cameras will never ‘not be working’ today”

Company Background and Product Details: Artisan positions itself as a provider of AI-powered customer service and sales workflow solutions that they market as “AI Employees” or “Artisans.”

• The company’s main product is an AI sales agent called Ava, designed to automate customer prospecting and messaging
• Artisan claims their solution operates with “no human input” and costs 96% less than human employees
• Future expansion plans include developing AI tools for marketing, recruitment, finance, and design sectors

Public Response: The campaign has sparked significant backlash across social media platforms and within the San Francisco community.

• A post on Bluesky showing one of the billboards generated over 2,000 likes with users expressing dismay
• Reddit discussions have linked the campaign to broader concerns about San Francisco’s socioeconomic challenges
• Many view the campaign as tone-deaf given the city’s existing tensions around technology and employment

Company’s Defense: Artisan’s leadership has acknowledged the controversial nature of their marketing strategy while defending their approach.

• CEO Jaspar Carmichael-Jack admitted the ads are “somewhat dystopian” but argued that AI itself is dystopian
• The company deliberately chose provocative messaging to attract attention
• The campaign appears designed to capitalize on existing anxieties about AI’s impact on employment

Reading Between the Lines: While Artisan’s campaign has successfully generated publicity, their claims about AI capabilities should be viewed with skepticism given current technological limitations and the complex nature of human-AI workplace integration. The controversy also highlights the growing tension between technological advancement and workforce concerns in tech-centric cities.