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The record label representing award-winning singer Jorja Smith has stated its intention to claim a share of earnings from a song it claims was produced using an AI "clone" of the singer's unique voice.

The track, titled 'I Run' by UK dance act Haven, gained widespread popularity on TikTok last October, partly due to its polished R&B vocals by an unnamed female singer.

Despite its success and potential top 40 position in both UK and US, the song was later removed by major streaming platforms after music organizations sent takedown notices, stating it violated copyright by imitating another musician.

Even though 'I Run' has now been re-released with different singing, Smith's label, FAMM, insists it believes the original version was made with AI programmed on her extensive work and is now pursuing appropriate compensation.

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 wrote in a recent statement.

FAMM also expressed its view that "each iterations of the track infringe on Jorja's legal rights and unjustly take advantage of the work of all the songwriters with whom she collaborates."

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

Suggesting that her fans were potentially deceived by Haven's original release, the label added: "We must not permit this to become the new normal."

Producers Admit Employing AI Tools

The team responsible for the song have publicly admitted utilizing AI in its creation.

Producer Harrison Walker explained that the original vocals were in fact his own but were extensively manipulated using music-generation platform Suno, often referred to as the "advanced tool for music".

In addition, the second producer, Waypoint, identified as Jacob Donaghue, confirmed on social media that AI was used to "give our starting 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 mystery that I used AI-powered vocal editing to transform solely my voice for 'I Run'," Walker elaborated.

"Being a creator and maker, I like using new tools, methods and staying on the forefront of industry trends," he added.

"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."

Legal Gray Areas and Industry Impact

While their first version of 'I Run' was blocked from major rankings, the new recording did enter the UK Top 40 recently.

FAMM has framed the incident as a critical test case for the music industry's changing interaction with artificial intelligence.

The label stated it had "a duty to voice concerns" and "encourage wider discussion", because AI is advancing at an "rapid rate and substantially outpacing regulation".

"Computer-created material should be transparently identified as such so that the public may choose whether they listen to it or not," the statement added.

Artists as 'Collateral Victims'

Smith shared her label's position on her own Instagram profile.

The post warned that artists and songwriters were becoming "collateral damage in the race by governments and corporations towards AI supremacy".

It also stated that the label would distribute any potential royalties with the collaborators behind Smith's music.

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

The Ongoing Rise of Computer-Generated Music

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

• In June, the group Velvet Sundown gathered millions of plays before revealing they used AI to aid develop their musical style.
• Last month, an AI-generated "artist" called Breaking Rust topped a US country digital song sales chart, showing that audiences are not always averse to hearing AI-made music.
• Suno was previously taken to court for alleged violations by the industry's major biggest record labels, though those legal actions have now been settled.

Subsequently, Warner Music entered into a collaboration with the firm, which will allow users to generate songs using the vocal likenesses, names, and likenesses of Warner acts who opt in to the program.

Yet, it is unclear how a large number of well-known musicians will agree 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 released a vinyl album containing silent songs or audio of empty studios in opposition to proposed changes to intellectual property regulations.

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