Devin Elle Kurtz woke up on Thursday to a wave of digital notifications that quickly turned her morning sour. Fans of her work flooded her inbox, pointing toward a newly published meme on X from the Trump administration’s Department of Education. The image featured characters in identical stances, outfits, and color schemes to fan art she originally drew in 2023, paired with the slogan, “There’s magic in learning. Make education great again.”
When Fan Art Meets Federal Memes
For the 29-year-old Pasadena artist who has shared her illustrations online since her teenage years, the discovery hit a nerve. Her signature digital works, including pieces inspired by the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender, often face speculation from strangers claiming her aesthetic looks machine-generated. To combat this, she maintains a stance against artificial intelligence, complete with a “NO AI” badge on her Instagram profile.
I did not and would never consent to this administration running my fanart through AI and posting it. Can’t even believe I’m saying these words. https://t.co/QkEyy7nIPZ pic.twitter.com/RbbidsPJhZ
Upon inspecting the federal agency’s post, Kurtz noticed several alterations. The dragons present in her original composition had been excised, and the platform beneath the characters featured oddly sized bricks. These anomalies led her to conclude that AI was likely used to alter her work.
I did not and would never consent to this administration running my fanart through AI and posting it. Can’t even believe I’m saying these words.
That immediate public condemnation on social media quickly amassed 150,000 likes by late Thursday night. Speaking to The Times, Kurtz emphasized that her original illustration was crafted in 2023 purely out of affection for the source material to share with its creators and fellow enthusiasts.
A Growing Trend of Unauthorized Artistic Use
Kurtz joins a list of artists and musicians who have contested the Trump administration’s use of their creative output without their knowledge. Olivia Rodrigo and Japanese artist Hiroshi Nagai have similarly faced instances where their work intersected with political messaging.
In December, singer Sabrina Carpenter expressed sharp disapproval when her track “Juno” soundtracked a promotional video published by the Department of Homeland Security featuring tactical footage of law enforcement officers detaining individuals. Carpenter condemned the usage as inhumane, prompting the department to delete the promotional post entirely.
Because Kurtz’s contested illustration builds upon existing intellectual property from Avatar: The Last Airbender, she stated she does not intend to pursue legal action over the incident. The Department of Education did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Thursday.
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