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The record label representing award-winning singer Jorja Smith has declared its desire to claim a share of royalties from a track it claims was created using an artificial intelligence "clone" of the performer's distinctive vocal style.

The song, titled 'I Run' by British electronic duo Haven, gained widespread popularity on TikTok in October, partly due to its polished R&B singing by an unnamed woman vocalist.

Although its success and impending top 40 entry in the UK and US, the song was subsequently banned by leading streaming platforms after music organizations issued copyright requests, stating it violated copyright by imitating another musician.

Although 'I Run' has since been re-released with completely new vocals, Smith's label, FAMM, insists it believes the initial recording was made with AI programmed on her extensive work and is now seeking appropriate redress.

A Broader Principle at Stake

"The situation is not only about one artist. It's larger than one artist or a single track," the label wrote in a recent statement.

FAMM also expressed its view that "each versions of the track infringe on the artist's legal rights and unjustly benefit from the creative output of all the writers with whom she collaborates."

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

Implying that her fans were possibly misled by Haven's original track, the label added: "We cannot permit this to become the new normal."

Producers Acknowledge Using AI Tools

The duo behind the song have publicly admitted utilizing AI in its creation.

Producer Harrison Walker explained that the original voice were actually his own but were heavily altered using AI music software Suno, often referred to as the "advanced tool for music".

In addition, the second producer, Waypoint, whose real name is Jacob Donaghue, stated on social media that AI was used to "apply our starting vocal a feminine tone".

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

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

"Being a songwriter and maker, I like using innovative technologies, methods and remaining on the forefront of industry trends," he added.

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

Regulatory Gray Areas and Industry Implications

Although their original release of 'I Run' was blocked from official rankings, the replacement recording did break into the UK Top 40 last week.

FAMM has framed the incident as a critical precedent for the music industry's changing 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 significantly outpacing legal oversight".

"Computer-created material should be clearly labelled as such so that the audience may decide whether they consume it or not," the statement continued.

Creators Become 'Unintended Damage'

Smith shared her label's statement on her own Instagram page.

The post warned that artists and creators were becoming "unintended casualties in the race by policymakers and corporations towards AI supremacy".

It also stated that the label would distribute any awarded songwriting credits with the collaborators behind Smith's catalogue.

"If we are successful in proving that AI helped to write the lyrics and tune in 'I Run' and are granted a share of the song, we would seek to allocate every one of Jorja's collaborators with a corresponding share," it detailed.

The Ongoing Rise of Computer-Generated Music

The emergence of algorithmically created music has been a source of both interest and anxiety for the entertainment world.

• In June, the band Velvet Sundown accumulated millions of streams before disclosing they used AI to help develop their sound.
• Last month, an AI-generated "artist" known as Breaking Rust topped a US country digital song sales chart, demonstrating that audiences are not necessarily averse to consuming AI-made music.
• Suno was previously taken to court for alleged violations by the world's three largest record labels, though those legal actions have now been resolved.

Following this, Warner Music entered into a partnership with the company, which will enable users to generate songs using the voices, names, and images of Warner artists who agree to the program.

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

Just last week, a collective of prominent musicians including Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush released a vinyl album featuring tracks of silence or audio of quiet studios in protest to proposed changes to intellectual property regulations.

They contend these amendments would make it simpler for AI companies to develop models using protected work without securing a permission.