Billboards declaring the “Era of AI Employees is Here” have been popping up across the country, triggering strong reactions from the public and political leaders alike.
The most widely shared version of the ad states: “Stop Hiring Humans.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) was among those who criticized the messaging.
In a post on X, Sanders wrote: “Billboards across the country are promoting the replacement of millions of jobs with AI and robotics. Great idea. One simple question: How will those displaced workers survive when there are no jobs or income for them?”
Startup Behind the Billboards Defends Campaign
The ads are part of a controversial campaign by Artisan, a San Francisco-based startup that builds AI-powered sales agents.
The company’s CEO, Jaspar Carmichael-Jack, admitted the campaign was designed to get attention.
“It’s shock value,” he said during a panel at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. “We get a lot of backlash. We kind of deserved it with our marketing.”
The campaign features Artisan’s flagship product, an AI sales agent named Ava.
The company recently unveiled a new version, Ava 2.0, which Carmichael-Jack says will act more like a human employee and can even chat with coworkers on Slack.
CEO Claims AI Will Create More Jobs
Despite the campaign’s tone, Carmichael-Jack doesn’t believe AI will eliminate most jobs.
“AI in its current state, if it continues on the current track, it will create more jobs than it will take,” he said.
Instead, he argues the technology is more likely to take over repetitive or undesirable tasks.
“Taking over mundane jobs that humans don’t really enjoy doing,” he said.
But he also acknowledged limits to current AI products, saying, “You don’t want to use AI for any task where you need 100% confidence.”
He added, “If you’re dealing with the nuclear launch codes, maybe don’t use AI.”
Startup Secures Major Funding Amid Backlash
Artisan’s marketing may have been controversial, but it has also been successful.
The company raised $25 million in a Series A round this August, led by Glade Brook Capital, which also backs companies like Stripe and SpaceX.
Still, the viral reach of the “Stop Hiring Humans” ads sparked broader conversations about the future of work and the growing role of automation.
While tech leaders continue pushing the boundaries of AI capability, labor advocates and elected officials are questioning how the country will handle mass displacement if certain jobs vanish altogether.
UBI Mentioned as a Long-Term Solution
Carmichael-Jack addressed that possibility too, saying that if artificial general intelligence (AGI) ever becomes a reality, more sweeping changes would be necessary.
“In the abstract scenario where we actually achieve AGI, which isn’t realistic with current technologies, that would mean inherently that we would need UBI [universal basic income].”
“But we’re far away from that now.”
Debate Over Automation and Worker Protections Continues
In the meantime, Sanders’ concern echoes a larger anxiety across the American workforce, what happens if automation outpaces job creation?
While companies like Artisan present AI as a tool to boost efficiency and cut costs, critics argue that without protections, many workers could be left behind.
For now, Artisan shows no signs of dialing back its bold messaging. One recent ad even bragged that their AI agents “won’t get caught cheating on a kiss cam with the head of HR.”
Love it or hate it, the campaign has put Artisan and the debate over AI in the workplace firmly in the spotlight.
Whether that attention results in meaningful public policy or just more provocative ads remains to be seen.