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The record label representing award-winning singer Jorja Smith has declared its desire to claim a portion of royalties from a song it asserts was produced using an AI "replica" of the performer's distinctive voice.

The song, titled 'I Run' by British electronic duo Haven, achieved widespread traction on social media last October, partly due to its polished R&B vocals by an uncredited female vocalist.

Despite its success and potential top 40 position in both UK and US, the song was later removed by major streaming platforms after music organizations issued takedown notices, alleging it violated copyright by imitating another artist.

Although 'I Run' has since been reissued with completely new singing, Smith's label, FAMM, maintains it believes the original version was generated with AI programmed on her body of work and is now seeking appropriate compensation.

A Broader Issue in Play

"This is not only about one artist. It's bigger than a single performer or one song," the label wrote in a public announcement.

FAMM also expressed its view that "both versions of the track infringe on Jorja's rights and unjustly benefit from the work of all the writers with whom she collaborates."

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

Suggesting that her fans were potentially deceived by Haven's original release, the label added: "Our industry cannot permit this to be the new normal."

Creators Acknowledge Employing AI Tools

The duo behind the song have publicly admitted utilizing AI in its production process.

Songwriter Harrison Walker explained that the initial voice were in fact his own but were extensively altered using AI music software Suno, sometimes called the "ChatGPT for music".

In addition, the other producer, Waypoint, identified as Jacob Donaghue, confirmed on his accounts that AI was used to "apply 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 source computer files.

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

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

"In order to set the record straight, the artists behind HAVEN are actual and people, and all we want to do is make enjoyable music for other humans."

Regulatory Gray Areas and Industry Implications

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

FAMM has framed the incident as a critical precedent for the music industry's evolving relationship with artificial intelligence.

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

"Computer-created content should be transparently labelled as such so that the audience may choose whether they listen to it or not," the message added.

Artists as 'Collateral Victims'

Smith endorsed her label's position on her personal social media profile.

The text warned that artists and songwriters were becoming "unintended casualties in the race by governments and tech firms towards AI dominance".

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

"Should we are able in proving that AI helped to compose the lyrics and melody in 'I Run' and are granted a share of the song, we would aim to allocate every one of Jorja's collaborators with a pro-rata share," it explained.

The Ongoing Rise of Computer-Generated Music

The emergence of algorithmically created music has been a source of both interest and anxiety for the music industry.

• In June, the group Velvet Sundown accumulated millions of plays before disclosing they used AI to help develop their sound.
• Last month, an AI-generated "performer" known as Breaking Rust topped a US country sales chart, demonstrating that listeners are not always opposed to consuming AI-made music.
• Suno was last year taken to court for alleged violations by the world's major largest record labels, but those legal actions have now been settled.

Subsequently, Warner Music established a partnership with the company, which will allow users to generate songs using the vocal likenesses, names, and images of Warner artists who opt in to the program.

Yet, it remains uncertain how many well-known artists will agree to such uses of their identity.

Just last week, a collective of prominent artists 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 proposed revisions to intellectual property regulations.

They argue these amendments would make it easier for AI companies to develop models using copyrighted work without securing a permission.