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The record label representing Brit Award-winning singer Jorja Smith has stated its desire to receive a portion of earnings from a song it asserts was created using an artificial intelligence "replica" of the performer's distinctive vocal style.

The track, titled 'I Run' by British dance act Haven, achieved widespread traction on TikTok in October, in part due to its polished soul singing by an unnamed woman singer.

Despite its momentum and impending top 40 position in the UK and US, the track was later removed by leading streaming platforms after music organizations issued takedown requests, alleging it breached copyright by impersonating another musician.

Although 'I Run' has since been reissued with different singing, Smith's label, FAMM, insists it is convinced the initial recording was made with AI trained on her body of work and is now pursuing appropriate compensation.

A Broader Principle in Play

"The situation is not only about one artist. It's bigger than one artist or one song," the label wrote in a public statement.

FAMM also expressed its belief that "both versions of the track infringe on the artist's rights and unjustly take advantage of the work of all the writers with whom she collaborates."

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

Suggesting that her supporters were potentially misled by Haven's original track, the label added: "Our industry cannot allow this to be the standard practice."

Creators Acknowledge Employing AI Technology

The team behind the track have publicly admitted utilizing AI in its production process.

Producer Harrison Walker clarified that the initial voice were actually his own but were extensively manipulated using AI music software Suno, often referred to as the "advanced tool for music".

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

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

"This shouldn't be mystery that I used AI-assisted vocal processing to transform exclusively my voice for 'I Run'," Walker elaborated.

"As a songwriter and producer, I like experimenting with innovative technologies, methods and remaining on the cutting edge of industry trends," he added.

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

Legal Uncertainty and Broader Implications

Although their first version of 'I Run' was suspended from official rankings, the new version did enter the UK Top 40 recently.

FAMM has framed the incident as a significant precedent for the music industry's changing relationship with AI.

The label stated it had "an obligation to speak up" and "stimulate wider discussion", because AI is proliferating at an "rapid rate and significantly outpacing regulation".

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

Artists as 'Unintended Damage'

Smith endorsed her label's statement on her personal social media page.

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

It also noted that the label would share any awarded royalties with the writers behind Smith's music.

"Should we are successful in proving that AI helped to compose the words and tune in 'I Run' and are awarded a portion of the song, we would aim to assign every one of Jorja's collaborators with a pro-rata share," it detailed.

The Continuing Rise of AI Music

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

• In the summer, the band Velvet Sundown accumulated vast numbers of plays before disclosing they used AI to help craft their sound.
• Recently, an AI-generated "performer" called Breaking Rust led a US genre sales chart, demonstrating that audiences are not necessarily opposed to consuming AI-made music.
• Suno was previously taken to court for alleged violations by the industry's major largest record labels, though those cases have since been resolved.

Subsequently, Warner Music established a collaboration with the company, which will enable users to generate songs using the vocal likenesses, names, and likenesses of Warner artists who agree to the service.

However, it is unclear how a large number of established musicians will consent to such applications of their identity.

Just last week, a collective of prominent musicians such as Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush released a vinyl album featuring silent songs or recordings of quiet studios in opposition to proposed revisions to copyright law.

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