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The record label representing award-winning artist Jorja Smith has stated its intention to claim a portion of royalties from a track it asserts was produced using an AI "clone" of the performer's distinctive vocal style.

The track, titled 'I Run' by UK electronic duo Haven, achieved massive popularity on social media in October, in part due to its smooth soul singing by an unnamed female vocalist.

Despite its momentum and impending top 40 entry in the UK and US, the track was subsequently removed by major streaming platforms after music organizations sent copyright notices, stating it violated copyright by imitating another artist.

Although 'I Run' has since been reissued with completely new vocals, Smith's label, FAMM, insists it believes the original recording was generated with AI trained on her body of recordings and is now seeking appropriate compensation.

A Larger Issue in Play

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

FAMM also stated its belief that "both versions of the track violate Jorja's legal rights and unjustly benefit from the work of all the songwriters with whom she works."

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

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

Creators Admit Employing AI Tools

The duo responsible for the track have openly confirmed utilizing AI during its creation.

Songwriter Harrison Walker explained that the initial voice were in fact his own but were heavily altered using AI music software Suno, often referred to as the "advanced tool for music".

In addition, the other member, Waypoint, whose real name is Jacob Donaghue, stated on social media that AI was used to "give our starting vocal a female quality".

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

"This is no mystery that I used AI-assisted vocal processing to convert solely my voice for 'I Run'," Walker elaborated.

"As a songwriter and producer, I like experimenting with innovative technologies, methods and remaining on the forefront of industry trends," he added.

"To set the record clear, the people behind HAVEN are real and people, and all we want to do is make great music for other humans."

Regulatory Uncertainty and Industry Implications

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

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

The label argued it had "an obligation to speak up" and "stimulate public discourse", because AI is proliferating at an "alarming rate and significantly exceeding regulation".

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

Creators Become 'Collateral Damage'

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

The text warned that artists and creators were becoming "unintended casualties in the competition by policymakers and corporations towards AI dominance".

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

"Should we are successful in establishing that AI helped to write the words and tune in 'I Run' and are awarded a share of the song, we would seek to assign every one of Jorja's co-writers with a pro-rata share," it detailed.

The Ongoing Growth of Computer-Generated Music

The emergence of AI-generated music has been a topic of both fascination and anxiety for the music industry.

• In June, the band Velvet Sundown gathered millions of streams before disclosing they used AI to aid develop their sound.
• Last month, an AI-generated "artist" known as Breaking Rust led a US genre sales chart, demonstrating that audiences are not always averse to consuming computer-generated music.
• Suno was previously taken to court for alleged violations by the world's three largest record labels, but those legal actions have now been resolved.

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

Yet, it is unclear how a large number of well-known musicians will consent to such uses of their identity.

Just last week, a collective of prominent musicians including Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush released a vinyl album containing silent songs or audio of empty studios in protest to potential revisions to intellectual property regulations.

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