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The record label representing award-winning singer Jorja Smith has stated its desire to claim a share of earnings from a song it asserts was created using an AI "clone" of the performer's unique vocal style.

The song, titled 'I Run' by British electronic duo Haven, gained widespread popularity on social media in October, in part due to its polished R&B vocals by an uncredited female vocalist.

Despite its momentum and potential chart position in the UK and US, the song was later banned by leading music services after music bodies issued takedown requests, stating it violated intellectual property law by impersonating another musician.

Even though 'I Run' has since been re-released with completely new vocals, Smith's label, FAMM, maintains it is convinced the original recording was made with AI trained on her extensive work and is now seeking appropriate compensation.

A Larger Issue at Stake

"The situation is not only about Jorja. It's bigger than one artist or a single track," the label stated in a public announcement.

FAMM also expressed its view that "both iterations of the song violate Jorja's legal rights and unjustly take advantage of the work of all the songwriters with whom she works."

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

Implying that her supporters were possibly misled by Haven's first track, the label added: "Our industry cannot permit this to become the standard practice."

Producers Admit Using AI Tools

The duo behind the track have openly confirmed utilizing AI during its creation.

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

Meanwhile, the second member, Waypoint, whose real name is Jacob Donaghue, stated on his accounts that AI was used to "apply our original vocal a feminine tone".

Donaghue and Walker maintain that they composed and created the song themselves and have even shared files of their original computer files.

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

"Being a creator and producer, I like using innovative technologies, methods and remaining on the cutting edge of what's happening," he continued.

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

Legal Uncertainty and Broader Impact

Although their first release of 'I Run' was blocked from major rankings, the replacement recording did enter the UK Top 40 recently.

FAMM has framed the incident as a significant test case for the entertainment sector's evolving interaction with artificial intelligence.

The label stated it had "an obligation to speak up" and "encourage public discourse", because AI is advancing at an "alarming rate and substantially exceeding regulation".

"AI-generated content should be clearly labelled as such so that the public may choose whether they consume it or not," the message continued.

Artists as 'Unintended Victims'

Smith endorsed her label's position on her own social media page.

The post warned that musicians and creators were becoming "unintended casualties in the race by governments and tech firms towards AI supremacy".

It further stated that the label would share any potential royalties with the writers behind Smith's catalogue.

"If we are able in proving that AI helped to write the lyrics and melody in 'I Run' and are granted a share of the song, we would seek to assign each of Jorja's collaborators with a pro-rata share," it detailed.

The Ongoing Growth of AI Music

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

• In June, the band Velvet Sundown accumulated millions of streams before revealing they used AI to help develop their sound.
• Last month, an AI-generated "performer" called Breaking Rust led a US genre sales chart, showing that audiences are not necessarily averse to hearing AI-made music.
• Suno was last year sued for alleged violations by the world's three largest record labels, though those legal actions have since been settled.

Following this, Warner Music established a partnership with the firm, which will allow users to generate songs using the voices, names, and images of Warner artists who opt in to the program.

Yet, it remains uncertain how many well-known musicians will consent to such uses of their identity.

Just last week, a collective of renowned musicians such as Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush released a vinyl album featuring silent songs or audio of quiet studios in opposition to proposed revisions to copyright law.

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