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The record label representing Brit Award-winning singer Jorja Smith has stated its intention to claim a share of royalties from a track it claims was produced using an AI "clone" of the performer's distinctive vocal style.

The song, titled 'I Run' by UK dance act Haven, gained massive traction on social media in October, in part due to its polished soul vocals by an unnamed woman singer.

Although its momentum and impending top 40 entry in both UK and US, the song was later banned by leading streaming platforms after industry bodies sent takedown notices, alleging it breached intellectual property law by imitating another musician.

Even though 'I Run' has now been reissued with different vocals, Smith's label, FAMM, maintains it is convinced the initial version was made with AI programmed on her body of recordings and is now pursuing appropriate compensation.

A Larger Issue in Play

"This is not only about one artist. It's larger than a single performer or one song," the label wrote in a recent statement.

FAMM also stated its view that "both versions of the song violate the artist's rights and unjustly take advantage of the work of all the songwriters with whom she collaborates."

Known for hits like 'Be Honest' and 'Little Things', Smith was crowned British Female Solo Artist at the annual Brit Awards in 2019.

Implying that her fans were possibly deceived by Haven's original track, the label concluded: "Our industry cannot allow this to be the new normal."

Creators Admit Using AI Technology

The team behind the song have openly admitted using AI during its production process.

Songwriter Harrison Walker clarified that the original vocals were actually his own but were extensively altered using music-generation software Suno, often referred to as the "ChatGPT for music".

In addition, the other producer, Waypoint, whose real name is Jacob Donaghue, stated on his accounts that AI was used to "apply our starting vocal a female tone".

Donaghue and Walker maintain that they wrote and created the music themselves and have even shared evidence of their source computer files.

"It is no secret that I used AI-assisted vocal editing to convert exclusively my voice for 'I Run'," Walker elaborated.

"As a creator and maker, I like using new tools, methods and remaining on the cutting edge of what's happening," he continued.

"In order to set the facts straight, the people behind HAVEN are actual and human, and all we want to do is make enjoyable music for fellow humans."

Regulatory Uncertainty and Broader Implications

Although their original release of 'I Run' was suspended from major rankings, the replacement recording managed to break into the UK Top 40 last week.

FAMM has framed the incident as a significant precedent for the entertainment sector's changing interaction with AI.

The label argued it had "an obligation to speak up" and "stimulate public discourse", because AI is proliferating at an "rapid rate and substantially exceeding legal oversight".

"AI-generated material should be transparently labelled as such so that the public may decide whether they consume it or not," the statement added.

Creators Become 'Collateral Victims'

Smith shared her label's position on her own social media profile.

The post warned that musicians and creators were becoming "collateral damage in the competition by governments and corporations towards AI dominance".

It further stated that the label would distribute any awarded songwriting credits with the writers behind Smith's music.

"If we are able in establishing that AI helped to write the lyrics and melody in 'I Run' and are awarded a share of the song, we would aim to assign each of Jorja's collaborators with a corresponding share," it explained.

The Continuing Growth of Computer-Generated Music

The proliferation of AI-generated music has been a topic of both interest and anxiety for the entertainment world.

• In the summer, the band Velvet Sundown accumulated vast numbers of streams before revealing they used AI to aid craft their sound.
• Recently, an AI-generated "artist" called Breaking Rust topped a US country sales chart, demonstrating that listeners are not always opposed to consuming AI-made music.
• Suno was previously sued for alleged violations by the industry's three largest record labels, but those legal actions have now been resolved.

Subsequently, Warner Music entered into a partnership with the firm, which will allow users to create songs using the vocal likenesses, names, and likenesses of Warner artists who opt in to the service.

However, it is uncertain how many established artists will consent to such applications of their identity.

Recently, a collective of renowned artists including Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush issued a vinyl album containing tracks of silence or audio of quiet studios in opposition to potential changes to copyright law.

They contend these changes would make it easier for AI companies to train systems using protected work without obtaining a permission.