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The music company representing Brit Award-winning artist Jorja Smith has declared its intention to receive 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 electronic duo Haven, achieved widespread popularity on TikTok in October, partly due to its polished R&B vocals by an uncredited woman singer.

Despite 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 copyright notices, stating it breached intellectual property law by imitating another artist.

Even though 'I Run' has since been re-released with different singing, Smith's label, FAMM, insists it is convinced the original recording was made with AI programmed on her body of recordings and is now pursuing financial redress.

A Broader Principle in Play

"The situation isn't just about Jorja. This is bigger than a single performer or one song," the label wrote in a public statement.

FAMM further stated its belief that "each iterations of the song violate the artist's rights and unfairly benefit from the work of all the writers with whom she works."

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

Implying that her supporters were potentially deceived by Haven's original release, the label added: "Our industry must not permit this to be the standard practice."

Producers Admit Using AI Tools

The team responsible for the song have publicly confirmed utilizing AI during its production process.

Songwriter Harrison Walker explained that the original voice were actually his own but were extensively manipulated using music-generation software Suno, often referred to as the "advanced tool for music".

In addition, the other producer, Waypoint, identified as Jacob Donaghue, stated on his accounts that AI was used to "give our starting vocal a female quality".

Donaghue and Walker maintain that they composed and produced the music themselves and have even shared evidence of their source computer files.

"This is no mystery that I used AI-powered vocal processing to transform exclusively my voice for 'I Run'," Walker elaborated.

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

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

Legal Uncertainty and Industry Implications

While their original version of 'I Run' was blocked from major charts, the new version managed to break into the UK Top 40 recently.

FAMM has framed the incident as a significant test case for the music industry's evolving interaction with AI.

The label argued it had "an obligation to voice concerns" and "stimulate wider discussion", because AI is advancing at an "alarming rate and substantially outpacing legal oversight".

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

Artists as 'Collateral Victims'

Smith shared her label's position on her personal social media page.

The text cautioned that musicians and songwriters were becoming "unintended casualties in the race by governments and corporations towards AI supremacy".

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

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

The Continuing Rise of AI Music

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

• In June, the band Velvet Sundown accumulated millions of streams before revealing they used AI to aid craft their sound.
• Last month, an AI-generated "performer" called Breaking Rust topped a US country sales chart, demonstrating that listeners are not always opposed to hearing AI-made music.
• Suno was last year taken to court for copyright infringement by the world's major largest record labels, though those legal actions have since been resolved.

Subsequently, Warner Music established a collaboration with the firm, which will enable users to create songs using the vocal likenesses, names, and likenesses of Warner artists who opt in to the service.

Yet, it remains unclear how many established musicians will agree to such applications of their work.

Recently, a group of prominent musicians including Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush released a vinyl album containing tracks of silence or audio of empty studios in opposition to potential revisions to copyright law.

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