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The music company representing Brit Award-winning singer Jorja Smith has stated its intention to receive 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 traction on TikTok last October, partly due to its smooth soul vocals by an uncredited woman singer.

Despite its momentum and impending chart entry in the UK and US, the track was subsequently removed by major streaming platforms after industry bodies issued takedown requests, alleging it breached intellectual property law by impersonating another musician.

Although 'I Run' has now been reissued with completely new vocals, Smith's label, FAMM, insists it is convinced the original recording was generated with AI programmed on her body of recordings and is now pursuing financial compensation.

A Larger Issue in Play

"This is not only about one artist. It's larger than one artist or a single track," the label stated in a public statement.

FAMM further stated its belief that "both versions of the track infringe on Jorja's rights and unfairly benefit from the work of all the writers with whom she collaborates."

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

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

Producers Admit Using AI Tools

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

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

Meanwhile, the other member, Waypoint, whose real name is Jacob Donaghue, stated on his accounts that AI was used to "give our starting vocal a female quality".

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

"It shouldn't be mystery that I used AI-powered vocal editing to convert solely my voice for 'I Run'," Walker said.

"As a songwriter and producer, I enjoy experimenting with new tools, techniques and staying on the forefront of industry trends," he added.

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

Regulatory Uncertainty and Broader Implications

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

FAMM has framed the incident as a significant precedent for the music industry's changing relationship with AI.

The label stated it had "an obligation to voice concerns" and "stimulate wider discussion", because AI is proliferating at an "rapid rate and substantially outpacing regulation".

"AI-generated content should be transparently labelled as such so that the audience may decide whether they consume it or not," the statement added.

Artists as 'Unintended Damage'

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

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

It also stated that the label would distribute any potential songwriting credits with the writers behind Smith's music.

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

The Ongoing Growth of Computer-Generated Music

The emergence of algorithmically created 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 streams before revealing they used AI to aid develop their musical style.
• Last month, an AI-generated "artist" called Breaking Rust led a US country digital song sales chart, demonstrating that listeners are not always averse to consuming computer-generated music.
• Suno was last year sued for alleged violations by the industry's three biggest record labels, but those cases have since been settled.

Following this, Warner Music entered into a partnership with the company, which will allow users to create songs using the vocal likenesses, names, and likenesses of Warner acts who agree to the service.

However, it remains uncertain how many well-known musicians will agree 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 featuring silent songs or audio of empty studios in opposition to proposed changes to copyright law.

They argue these changes would make it easier for AI companies to develop models using protected work without obtaining a permission.