Artisan AI briefly disappeared from LinkedIn after the platform restricted the startup’s accounts, before restoring access following discussions between the two companies, according to the company’s chief executive.
LinkedIn Accounts Suddenly Disappear
Over several days, posts on LinkedIn and Twitter/X circulated widely after users noticed that Artisan AI no longer appeared on LinkedIn. The company’s LinkedIn page, employee profiles, and executive posts showed a message stating that the content could not be displayed.
Artisan CEO Jaspar Carmichael-Jack confirmed to TechCrunch that the company had been banned from LinkedIn. He said the restriction was temporary and followed a review by LinkedIn’s enforcement team. After addressing the platform’s concerns over roughly two weeks, Artisan’s presence on LinkedIn is now being reinstated.
Reasons Behind The Restriction
Carmichael-Jack said the ban was not related to claims circulating online that Artisan’s AI agents were spamming LinkedIn users. Instead, he said LinkedIn objected to Artisan using LinkedIn’s name on its website and raised concerns that the company relied on data brokers who had scraped LinkedIn without authorization. Data scraping violates LinkedIn’s terms of service.
To resolve the issue, Artisan removed all references to LinkedIn from its website, where the platform’s name had been used for feature comparisons. Carmichael-Jack also said he reviewed the startup’s third-party data vendors to confirm they were operating in line with LinkedIn’s policies.
Background On Artisan And Its Product
Artisan AI is a graduate of Y Combinator and gained attention in San Francisco through billboard ads carrying the phrase “Stop hiring humans.” The company sells an AI sales agent named Ava, designed to identify and contact potential customers for outbound sales.
LinkedIn is a heavily used platform for outbound sales activity, both by human sales professionals and, increasingly, by AI-driven tools. While some users noticed Artisan’s LinkedIn disappearance about a week earlier, online discussion accelerated more recently.
Viral Attention And Internal Response
Carmichael-Jack said LinkedIn’s enforcement team contacted Artisan and fully restricted its accounts during the review, causing the company to vanish from the platform. He described the timing as difficult, noting that the initial contact came on Friday evening, December 19, just before the Christmas holiday.
He said the LinkedIn team was helpful and responsive, though communication was limited to email and handled anonymously. During the restriction period, Carmichael-Jack said Artisan’s inbound leads increased as online discussion about the ban spread.
As someone who appreciates unconventional marketing tactics, he joked that he wished the situation had been intentional.
Impact On The Business And Future Plans
Carmichael-Jack downplayed the long-term impact of the restriction, saying that only a small portion of Artisan’s data comes from LinkedIn. He said the company is preparing to release a more autonomous version of Ava that can reach prospects through additional channels.
The startup plans to add outbound calling as a channel within a few months. Carmichael-Jack said that even if the LinkedIn ban had not been lifted, the company would have continued operating through other methods.
LinkedIn’s Position And Industry Context
LinkedIn, which is owned by Microsoft, is not a direct competitor to Artisan. The platform launched its own AI agent, Hiring Assistant, last year, focusing on recruitment rather than sales. LinkedIn did not immediately respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment.
Featured image credits: Pexels
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