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The record label representing Brit Award-winning artist Jorja Smith has declared its intention to claim a share of royalties from a song it claims was produced using an artificial intelligence "clone" of the singer's unique voice.

The song, titled 'I Run' by UK electronic duo Haven, achieved massive popularity on TikTok last October, in part due to its smooth R&B vocals by an unnamed woman vocalist.

Although its success and impending top 40 position in the UK and US, the track was later banned by leading streaming platforms after industry organizations issued takedown requests, stating it breached copyright by imitating another artist.

Even though 'I Run' has since been re-released with completely new singing, Smith's label, FAMM, maintains it believes the initial version was generated with AI programmed on her extensive work and is now pursuing financial redress.

A Broader Issue in Play

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

FAMM further expressed its view that "both versions of the track infringe on the artist's rights and unjustly take advantage of the creative output of all the songwriters with whom she collaborates."

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

Suggesting that her fans were possibly deceived by Haven's original track, the label concluded: "We must not allow this to become the standard practice."

Creators Acknowledge Using AI Tools

The duo behind the track have openly admitted utilizing AI during its production process.

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

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

Donaghue and Walker assert that they composed and produced the music themselves and have even shared files of their source production sessions.

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

"As a creator and producer, I enjoy experimenting with new tools, techniques and staying on the cutting edge of what's happening," he continued.

"To set the record straight, the artists behind HAVEN are actual and human, and all we want to do is make enjoyable music for other humans."

Regulatory Uncertainty and Broader Impact

Although their first release of 'I Run' was blocked from major rankings, the replacement version managed to break into the UK Top 40 recently.

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

The label stated it had "a duty to speak up" and "encourage wider discussion", because AI is advancing at an "alarming rate and significantly exceeding legal oversight".

"Computer-created content should be clearly labelled as such so that the audience may choose whether they listen to it or not," the statement added.

Creators Become 'Unintended Victims'

Smith shared her label's statement on her personal social media page.

The text warned that artists and songwriters were turning into "collateral damage in the race by governments and tech firms towards AI dominance".

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

"If we are successful in establishing that AI helped to write the lyrics and melody in 'I Run' and are awarded a portion of the song, we would seek to allocate each of Jorja's collaborators with a pro-rata share," it explained.

The Ongoing Growth of Computer-Generated Music

The proliferation of algorithmically created music has been a topic of both interest and anxiety for the music industry.

• In the summer, the group Velvet Sundown gathered millions of plays before revealing they used AI to aid develop their sound.
• Last month, an AI-generated "performer" known as Breaking Rust topped a US country digital song sales chart, demonstrating that listeners are not necessarily averse to hearing computer-generated music.
• Suno was previously taken to court for copyright infringement by the world's three largest record labels, but those cases have since been resolved.

Subsequently, Warner Music established a partnership with the company, which will allow users to create songs using the voices, names, and likenesses of Warner artists who opt in to the program.

However, it is unclear how many well-known artists will agree to such uses of their work.

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

They argue these amendments would make it simpler for AI companies to train systems using copyrighted work without obtaining a license.