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The record label representing Brit Award-winning artist Jorja Smith has stated its desire to receive a portion of earnings from a track it asserts was produced using an AI "clone" of the singer's unique vocal style.

The song, titled 'I Run' by British electronic duo Haven, gained massive popularity on social media last October, in part due to its smooth R&B singing by an uncredited woman vocalist.

Despite its momentum and potential top 40 entry in the UK and US, the track was subsequently banned by leading music services after music organizations issued copyright notices, alleging it breached intellectual property law by imitating another artist.

Although 'I Run' has now been re-released with different vocals, Smith's label, FAMM, insists it is convinced the initial version was generated with AI trained on her extensive recordings and is now seeking appropriate compensation.

A Larger Principle at Stake

"The situation isn't just about one artist. It's larger than a single performer or a single track," the label stated in a public statement.

FAMM further stated its view that "both versions of the song infringe on Jorja's legal rights and unjustly take advantage of the work of all the writers with whom she works."

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

Implying that her supporters were potentially misled by Haven's first track, the label added: "Our industry cannot permit this to be the new normal."

Creators Admit Using AI Technology

The duo responsible for the song have publicly admitted utilizing AI in its production process.

Songwriter Harrison Walker clarified that the original vocals were actually his own but were heavily manipulated using music-generation software Suno, often called the "ChatGPT for music".

Meanwhile, the other producer, Waypoint, whose real name is Jacob Donaghue, confirmed on social media that AI was used to "apply our original vocal a female tone".

Donaghue and Walker maintain that they composed and created the song themselves and have even provided files of their source production sessions.

"This is no secret that I used AI-powered vocal editing to convert solely my voice for 'I Run'," Walker said.

"As a songwriter and producer, I like experimenting with innovative technologies, techniques and staying on the forefront of industry trends," he continued.

"To set the facts straight, the people behind HAVEN are actual and human, and all we aim to do is make great music for fellow humans."

Regulatory Gray Areas and Broader Impact

Although their first version of 'I Run' was blocked from official rankings, the replacement recording managed to enter the UK Top 40 recently.

FAMM has positioned the entire episode as a significant precedent for the entertainment sector's evolving interaction with AI.

The label stated it had "a duty to speak up" and "stimulate public discourse", because AI is proliferating at an "rapid rate and substantially outpacing regulation".

"AI-generated content should be transparently labelled as such so that the audience may choose whether they listen to it or not," the message added.

Artists as 'Unintended Damage'

Smith endorsed her label's statement on her personal social media profile.

The text cautioned that musicians and creators were becoming "unintended casualties in the competition by policymakers and corporations towards AI supremacy".

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

"If we are able in proving that AI helped to compose the lyrics and tune in 'I Run' and are awarded a portion of the song, we would aim to allocate each of Jorja's collaborators with a pro-rata share," it explained.

The Ongoing Growth of AI Music

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

• In June, the band Velvet Sundown accumulated vast numbers of streams before revealing they used AI to aid craft their musical style.
• Recently, an AI-generated "performer" called Breaking Rust topped a US genre sales chart, demonstrating that listeners are not necessarily opposed to consuming computer-generated music.
• Suno was previously taken to court for alleged violations by the industry's three biggest record labels, though those cases have now been settled.

Following this, Warner Music entered into a collaboration with the firm, which will allow users to create songs using the voices, names, and likenesses of Warner acts who opt in to the service.

Yet, it is uncertain how a large number of established artists will consent to such uses of their work.

Just last week, a collective of prominent musicians such as Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush issued a vinyl album featuring silent songs or recordings of empty studios in protest to proposed changes to copyright law.

They argue these amendments would make it easier for AI companies to develop systems using copyrighted work without securing a license.