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

The track, titled 'I Run' by British electronic duo Haven, achieved massive popularity on social media in October, partly due to its smooth soul vocals by an unnamed woman vocalist.

Despite its momentum and impending chart entry in both UK and US, the track was subsequently removed by leading streaming platforms after music organizations issued copyright requests, alleging it breached copyright by impersonating another musician.

Although 'I Run' has now been reissued with different singing, Smith's label, FAMM, insists it is convinced the original recording was generated with AI trained on her body of recordings and is now seeking appropriate compensation.

A Broader Issue in Play

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

FAMM further expressed its belief that "each versions of the track infringe on Jorja's rights and unjustly benefit from the work of all the writers with whom she works."

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

Suggesting that her supporters were potentially deceived by Haven's original track, the label added: "We must not permit this to become the new normal."

Creators Acknowledge Using AI Technology

The team responsible for the song have openly confirmed using AI in its production process.

Producer Harrison Walker explained that the initial vocals were in fact his own but were extensively manipulated using AI music platform Suno, sometimes referred to as the "advanced tool for music".

In addition, the other member, Waypoint, whose real name is Jacob Donaghue, stated on his accounts that AI was used to "give our starting vocal a female quality".

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

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

"As a songwriter and maker, I enjoy experimenting with new tools, techniques and staying on the cutting edge of what's happening," he added.

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

Regulatory Uncertainty and Broader Implications

While their first release of 'I Run' was suspended from official rankings, the replacement recording managed to enter the UK Top 40 last week.

FAMM has positioned the incident as a significant precedent for the entertainment sector's evolving relationship with artificial intelligence.

The label argued it had "a duty to voice concerns" and "encourage wider discussion", because AI is proliferating at an "rapid rate and significantly outpacing legal oversight".

"Computer-created material should be clearly labelled as such so that the public may decide whether they listen to it or not," the message added.

Artists as 'Collateral Damage'

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

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

It further stated that the label would share any awarded royalties with the collaborators behind Smith's music.

"If we are successful in proving that AI helped to write the lyrics and melody in 'I Run' and are granted a share of the song, we would seek to allocate each of Jorja's collaborators with a corresponding share," it explained.

The Continuing Rise of Computer-Generated Music

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

• In the summer, the group Velvet Sundown gathered millions of streams before revealing they used AI to aid develop their musical style.
• Last month, an AI-generated "artist" known as Breaking Rust topped a US genre digital song sales chart, demonstrating that listeners are not necessarily averse to consuming AI-made music.
• Suno was last year taken to court for alleged violations 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 enable users to generate songs using the voices, names, and images of Warner acts who agree to the program.

Yet, it remains unclear how many established musicians will agree to such uses of their identity.

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 audio of quiet studios in opposition to proposed revisions to intellectual property regulations.

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