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The record label representing award-winning artist Jorja Smith has declared its intention to receive a share of earnings from a track it claims was produced using an AI "clone" of the performer's unique voice.

The track, titled 'I Run' by UK dance act Haven, achieved widespread popularity on TikTok in October, in part due to its smooth R&B vocals by an uncredited female vocalist.

Despite its success and impending top 40 entry in both UK and US, the song was later removed by major streaming platforms after industry bodies sent takedown requests, alleging it violated copyright by imitating another musician.

Even though 'I Run' has since been reissued with different vocals, Smith's label, FAMM, insists it is convinced the initial recording was made with AI trained on her extensive work and is now pursuing financial redress.

A Broader Principle in Play

"This isn't just about Jorja. This is bigger than one artist or one song," the label wrote in a recent statement.

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

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

Implying that her supporters were possibly deceived by Haven's first release, the label added: "We must not allow this to become the standard practice."

Producers Admit Employing AI Tools

The duo responsible for the song have publicly admitted using AI in its production process.

Producer Harrison Walker clarified that the initial voice were in fact his own but were heavily altered using AI music platform Suno, often referred to as the "ChatGPT for music".

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

Donaghue and Walker assert that they composed and produced the song themselves and have even shared files of their source computer files.

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

"As a creator and maker, I like using new tools, methods and remaining on the forefront of what's happening," he continued.

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

Legal Uncertainty and Industry Implications

While their first release of 'I Run' was blocked from major charts, the new recording managed to break into the UK Top 40 last week.

FAMM has positioned the entire episode as a critical precedent for the entertainment sector's changing interaction with artificial intelligence.

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

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

Creators Become 'Collateral Damage'

Smith shared her label's position on her own Instagram page.

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

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

"If we are successful in proving that AI assisted to compose the lyrics and melody in 'I Run' and are granted a portion of the song, we would aim to allocate every one of Jorja's co-writers with a pro-rata share," it explained.

The Ongoing Growth of Computer-Generated Music

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

• In the summer, the group Velvet Sundown gathered vast numbers of plays before disclosing they used AI to help develop their sound.
• Recently, an AI-generated "performer" known as Breaking Rust led a US country digital song sales chart, showing that listeners are not necessarily averse to hearing AI-made music.
• Suno was previously sued for copyright infringement by the world's major largest record labels, though those cases have now been resolved.

Following this, 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 opt in to the service.

Yet, it is unclear how a large number of established artists will agree to such applications of their work.

Recently, a group of renowned artists such as Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush released a vinyl album containing tracks of silence or audio of quiet studios in opposition to proposed revisions to copyright law.

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