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The record label representing award-winning artist Jorja Smith has declared its intention to claim a share of royalties from a track it asserts was produced using an artificial intelligence "clone" of the performer's distinctive voice.

The track, titled 'I Run' by UK electronic duo Haven, gained massive popularity on TikTok last October, in part due to its polished soul vocals by an unnamed female singer.

Although its success and potential top 40 position in both UK and US, the song was subsequently banned by major streaming platforms after industry bodies sent takedown notices, alleging it violated intellectual property law by imitating another artist.

Even though 'I Run' has now been re-released with different vocals, Smith's label, FAMM, insists it believes the initial recording was generated with AI trained on her extensive recordings and is now pursuing financial compensation.

A Broader Issue at Stake

"This isn't just about Jorja. It's larger than one artist or a single track," the label wrote in a public announcement.

FAMM further stated its view that "both iterations of the song violate the artist's rights and unjustly benefit from the work of all the songwriters with whom she collaborates."

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

Implying that her supporters were potentially deceived by Haven's original track, the label added: "We cannot permit this to be the new normal."

Creators Admit Employing AI Tools

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

Producer Harrison Walker explained that the initial vocals were actually his own but were heavily altered using music-generation software Suno, sometimes referred to as the "advanced tool for music".

In addition, the other member, Waypoint, whose real name is Jacob Donaghue, confirmed on his accounts that AI was used to "apply our original vocal a feminine tone".

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

"This shouldn't be mystery that I used AI-powered vocal processing to transform exclusively my voice for 'I Run'," Walker said.

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

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

Regulatory Uncertainty and Industry Implications

While their original version of 'I Run' was blocked from official charts, the replacement recording did break into the UK Top 40 recently.

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

The label argued it had "a duty to voice concerns" and "encourage wider discussion", because AI is proliferating at an "alarming rate and significantly outpacing regulation".

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

Creators Become 'Collateral Victims'

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

The text cautioned that artists and creators were turning into "collateral damage in the competition by governments and corporations towards AI supremacy".

It further noted that the label would share any awarded royalties with the collaborators behind Smith's catalogue.

"Should we are successful in establishing that AI assisted to compose the lyrics and tune in 'I Run' and are granted a portion of the song, we would aim to assign every one of Jorja's collaborators with a corresponding share," it explained.

The Continuing Rise of Computer-Generated Music

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

• In the summer, the group Velvet Sundown gathered vast numbers of plays before revealing they used AI to aid craft their sound.
• Last month, an AI-generated "artist" called Breaking Rust topped a US country digital song sales chart, demonstrating that audiences are not always averse to hearing AI-made music.
• Suno was previously taken to court for alleged violations by the industry's three biggest record labels, but those cases have now been resolved.

Subsequently, Warner Music established a collaboration 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 a large number of established artists will consent to such uses of their identity.

Recently, a group of prominent musicians including Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush released a vinyl album containing silent songs or recordings of quiet studios in protest to potential changes to intellectual property regulations.

They contend these amendments would make it easier for AI companies to train models using protected work without obtaining a permission.