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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 track it asserts was produced using an artificial intelligence "replica" of the performer's distinctive voice.

The track, titled 'I Run' by British dance act Haven, achieved massive popularity on TikTok last October, in part due to its polished soul vocals by an uncredited female vocalist.

Despite its momentum and impending chart position in the UK and US, the song was subsequently removed by leading streaming platforms after music organizations sent takedown requests, stating it violated intellectual property law by impersonating another musician.

Although 'I Run' has since been re-released with different vocals, Smith's label, FAMM, maintains it believes the original version was made with AI trained on her extensive work and is now pursuing appropriate redress.

A Larger Issue at Stake

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

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

Known for songs 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 possibly deceived by Haven's first release, the label added: "Our industry cannot allow this to become the standard practice."

Producers Admit Using AI Tools

The team responsible for the track have publicly admitted utilizing AI during its creation.

Producer Harrison Walker explained that the original vocals were actually his own but were heavily manipulated using music-generation software Suno, sometimes called the "ChatGPT for music".

In addition, the other producer, Waypoint, identified as Jacob Donaghue, confirmed on social media that AI was used to "give our original vocal a female tone".

Donaghue and Walker maintain that they wrote and produced the music themselves and have even provided evidence of their original computer files.

"This shouldn't be secret that I used AI-assisted vocal processing to transform exclusively my voice for 'I Run'," Walker elaborated.

"Being a songwriter and maker, I like using new tools, techniques and staying on the forefront of what's happening," he added.

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

Legal Uncertainty and Industry Implications

Although their original version of 'I Run' was suspended from major rankings, the new recording did break into the UK Top 40 recently.

FAMM has framed the entire episode as a significant test case for the entertainment sector's evolving relationship with artificial intelligence.

The label argued it had "an obligation to voice concerns" and "encourage public discourse", because AI is proliferating at an "rapid rate and substantially exceeding regulation".

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

Artists as 'Unintended Damage'

Smith endorsed her label's statement on her own social media page.

The text warned that artists and creators were becoming "collateral damage in the race by policymakers and tech firms towards AI dominance".

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

"If we are able in proving that AI helped to write the lyrics and tune in 'I Run' and are awarded a share of the song, we would aim to allocate every one of Jorja's co-writers with a pro-rata share," it explained.

The Ongoing Growth of AI Music

The proliferation of algorithmically created music has been a source of both fascination and consternation for the music industry.

• In the summer, the group Velvet Sundown accumulated vast numbers of streams before disclosing they used AI to help craft their musical style.
• Last month, an AI-generated "performer" known as Breaking Rust led a US genre digital song sales chart, showing that listeners are not necessarily opposed to hearing AI-made music.
• Suno was last year sued for alleged violations by the industry's three biggest record labels, but those cases have now been resolved.

Following this, Warner Music established a collaboration with the company, which will allow users to create songs using the voices, names, and likenesses of Warner acts who opt in to the program.

Yet, it is unclear how a large number of well-known artists will agree to such applications of their identity.

Recently, a group of renowned musicians such as Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush released a vinyl album featuring tracks of silence or recordings of quiet studios in opposition to potential revisions to copyright law.

They contend these amendments would make it easier for AI companies to train systems using copyrighted work without securing a license.