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The record label representing Brit Award-winning singer Jorja Smith has declared its desire to receive a share of royalties from a song it asserts was produced using an artificial intelligence "clone" of the singer's unique vocal style.

The song, titled 'I Run' by UK electronic duo Haven, achieved widespread popularity on TikTok in October, in part due to its smooth R&B vocals by an uncredited woman singer.

Although its momentum and impending top 40 entry in the UK and US, the song was later banned by major streaming platforms after industry bodies sent takedown requests, alleging it breached copyright by imitating another artist.

Even though 'I Run' has now been re-released with completely new singing, Smith's label, FAMM, insists it believes the initial version was made with AI trained on her extensive recordings and is now seeking appropriate redress.

A Larger Principle at Stake

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

FAMM further stated its belief that "each versions of the song violate the artist's rights and unfairly benefit from the creative output of all the writers with whom she collaborates."

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

Implying that her fans were possibly deceived by Haven's first track, the label concluded: "We cannot permit this to be the standard practice."

Producers Acknowledge Using AI Tools

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

Songwriter Harrison Walker explained that the initial vocals were in fact his own but were extensively altered using music-generation software Suno, often called the "advanced tool for music".

In addition, the second producer, Waypoint, identified as Jacob Donaghue, confirmed on his accounts that AI was used to "give our starting vocal a feminine tone".

Donaghue and Walker assert that they composed and produced the song themselves and have even shared files of their original production sessions.

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

"As a creator and maker, I enjoy using innovative technologies, techniques and staying on the forefront of what's happening," he continued.

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

Regulatory Uncertainty and Industry Implications

Although their original release of 'I Run' was blocked from official charts, the replacement recording managed to enter the UK Top 40 recently.

FAMM has positioned the entire episode as a critical test case for the music industry's evolving relationship with AI.

The label stated it had "a duty to speak up" and "stimulate public discourse", because AI is advancing at an "alarming rate and significantly exceeding legal oversight".

"AI-generated content should be transparently identified as such so that the audience may choose whether they listen to it or not," the statement added.

Artists as 'Collateral Victims'

Smith endorsed her label's statement on her own Instagram page.

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

It further noted that the label would distribute any awarded songwriting credits with the collaborators behind Smith's catalogue.

"Should we are successful in proving that AI assisted to write the lyrics and tune in 'I Run' and are granted a portion of the song, we would aim to assign each of Jorja's co-writers with a corresponding share," it explained.

The Ongoing Growth of AI Music

The emergence of algorithmically created music has been a source of both fascination and consternation for the entertainment world.

• In June, the band Velvet Sundown gathered vast numbers of streams before revealing they used AI to help craft their musical style.
• Recently, an AI-generated "performer" known as Breaking Rust topped a US genre digital song sales chart, demonstrating that audiences are not always averse to consuming AI-made music.
• Suno was previously sued for copyright infringement by the industry's major biggest record labels, but those cases have now been settled.

Subsequently, Warner Music established a collaboration with the company, which will allow users to create songs using the voices, names, and likenesses of Warner artists who agree to the program.

However, it is uncertain how a large number of well-known artists will consent to such uses of their work.

Recently, a collective of renowned artists including Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush issued a vinyl album featuring silent songs or recordings of empty studios in protest to proposed revisions to intellectual property regulations.

They argue these changes would make it simpler for AI companies to develop systems using protected work without securing a permission.