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The record label representing Brit Award-winning artist Jorja Smith has declared its intention to receive a portion of royalties from a song it claims was produced using an AI "replica" of the singer's distinctive vocal style.

The track, titled 'I Run' by UK electronic duo Haven, achieved massive popularity on social media last October, partly due to its smooth soul singing by an unnamed female vocalist.

Despite its success and potential chart position in both UK and US, the track was subsequently removed by major music services after music bodies sent takedown requests, stating it violated copyright by imitating another artist.

Even though 'I Run' has since been reissued with different singing, Smith's label, FAMM, insists it believes the initial recording was generated with AI programmed on her body of work and is now pursuing appropriate compensation.

A Larger Principle at Stake

"This is not only about Jorja. This is larger than a single performer or a single track," the label stated in a recent statement.

FAMM further stated its view that "both versions of the song violate Jorja's legal rights and unfairly benefit from the creative output of all the writers with whom she works."

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

Implying that her supporters were potentially deceived by Haven's first release, the label added: "We cannot permit this to become the new normal."

Producers Admit Employing AI Technology

The team responsible for the song have publicly admitted using AI during its creation.

Songwriter Harrison Walker clarified that the initial vocals were in fact his own but were extensively altered using music-generation software Suno, sometimes called the "ChatGPT for music".

Meanwhile, the other member, Waypoint, identified as Jacob Donaghue, confirmed on his accounts that AI was used to "apply our starting vocal a female tone".

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

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

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

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

Legal Gray Areas and Industry Implications

While their original release of 'I Run' was blocked from major rankings, the new recording did break into the UK Top 40 last week.

FAMM has framed the incident as a critical test case for the music industry's evolving interaction with AI.

The label stated it had "an obligation to speak up" and "encourage public discourse", because AI is advancing at an "rapid rate and significantly exceeding regulation".

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

Creators Become 'Unintended Damage'

Smith shared her label's statement on her own social media page.

The post cautioned that artists and songwriters were turning into "collateral damage in the competition by governments and corporations 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 establishing that AI assisted to write the lyrics and tune in 'I Run' and are granted a share of the song, we would aim to assign every one of Jorja's co-writers with a pro-rata share," it explained.

The Ongoing Rise of Computer-Generated Music

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

• In June, the band Velvet Sundown accumulated vast numbers of plays before disclosing they used AI to help craft their sound.
• Last month, an AI-generated "artist" called Breaking Rust topped a US country digital song sales chart, showing that audiences are not always opposed to hearing 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.

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

However, it is uncertain how many established musicians will consent to such uses of their identity.

Recently, a group of prominent musicians including Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush released a vinyl album containing silent songs or recordings of empty studios in opposition to potential changes to intellectual property regulations.

They contend these changes would make it easier for AI companies to train systems using protected work without securing a permission.