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The music company representing award-winning artist Jorja Smith has declared its intention to claim a portion of earnings from a song it asserts was created using an AI "clone" of the performer's unique voice.

The song, titled 'I Run' by UK dance act Haven, gained massive traction on social media in October, partly due to its polished R&B vocals by an unnamed female singer.

Although its success and impending top 40 entry in the UK and US, the song was subsequently removed by leading streaming platforms after industry bodies issued takedown requests, alleging it breached intellectual property law by imitating another musician.

Although 'I Run' has since been re-released with completely new singing, Smith's label, FAMM, insists it believes the original version was generated with AI programmed on her extensive work and is now pursuing financial compensation.

A Larger Principle in Play

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

FAMM also expressed its view that "both iterations of the song violate Jorja's legal rights and unjustly benefit from the work of all the writers with whom she collaborates."

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

Suggesting that her supporters were potentially misled by Haven's first release, the label concluded: "We must not permit this to be the new normal."

Producers Admit Employing AI Technology

The duo responsible for the track have publicly admitted using AI during its creation.

Producer Harrison Walker clarified that the initial voice were actually his own but were heavily manipulated using AI music platform Suno, often called the "ChatGPT for music".

In addition, the other producer, Waypoint, whose real name is Jacob Donaghue, stated on his accounts that AI was used to "apply our original vocal a female tone".

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

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

"Being a creator and maker, I like experimenting with innovative technologies, techniques and remaining on the cutting edge of industry trends," he added.

"In order to set the record clear, the artists behind HAVEN are real and people, and all we aim to do is make great music for fellow humans."

Legal Gray Areas and Industry Impact

While their first release of 'I Run' was suspended from major charts, the replacement version did break into the UK Top 40 recently.

FAMM has framed the incident as a significant test case for the entertainment sector's changing relationship with AI.

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

"Computer-created content should be transparently identified 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 Instagram page.

The post cautioned that artists and creators were becoming "unintended casualties in the race by governments and corporations towards AI supremacy".

It further noted that the label would share any potential royalties with the collaborators behind Smith's catalogue.

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

The Continuing Growth of Computer-Generated Music

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

• In June, the group Velvet Sundown gathered millions of plays before disclosing they used AI to aid develop their sound.
• Last month, an AI-generated "artist" known as Breaking Rust topped a US country sales chart, showing that listeners are not necessarily averse to consuming AI-made music.
• Suno was last year taken to court for alleged violations by the industry's three largest record labels, but those legal actions have now been resolved.

Following this, Warner Music entered into a collaboration with the firm, which will allow users to generate songs using the voices, names, and likenesses of Warner acts who opt in to the service.

However, it remains uncertain how a large number of well-known musicians will agree to such applications of their identity.

Just last week, a group of renowned artists such as Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush issued a vinyl album featuring tracks of silence or audio of empty studios in protest to proposed changes to intellectual property regulations.

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