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The record label representing Brit Award-winning singer Jorja Smith has stated its intention to claim 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 electronic duo Haven, achieved massive traction on social media last October, in part due to its smooth R&B singing by an uncredited female vocalist.

Despite its success and impending top 40 entry in the UK and US, the song was later removed by major streaming platforms after music bodies issued takedown notices, alleging it breached intellectual property law by imitating another musician.

Although 'I Run' has since been re-released with different vocals, Smith's label, FAMM, insists it believes the original recording was generated with AI trained on her extensive recordings and is now pursuing financial redress.

A Larger Principle in Play

"This isn't just about one artist. It's larger than a single performer or a single track," the label stated in a public statement.

FAMM also expressed its belief that "both iterations of the track violate the artist's legal rights and unfairly benefit from the work 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 fans were possibly misled by Haven's first track, the label added: "Our industry must not permit this to become the new normal."

Creators Admit Using AI Technology

The duo behind the track have publicly admitted utilizing AI during its creation.

Producer Harrison Walker clarified that the original voice were actually his own but were extensively manipulated using music-generation platform Suno, sometimes referred to as the "ChatGPT for music".

In addition, the second member, Waypoint, whose real name is Jacob Donaghue, confirmed on social media that AI was used to "give our starting vocal a female tone".

Donaghue and Walker assert that they composed and created the music themselves and have even provided evidence of their source production sessions.

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

"Being a songwriter and producer, I like using new tools, techniques and staying on the cutting edge of what's happening," he continued.

"To set the record straight, the people behind HAVEN are real and people, and all we want to do is make enjoyable music for other humans."

Legal Uncertainty and Industry Implications

While their original version of 'I Run' was blocked from official rankings, the replacement recording did break into the UK Top 40 last week.

FAMM has framed the entire episode as a significant precedent for the music industry's evolving relationship with AI.

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

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

Creators Become 'Unintended Victims'

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

The post warned that musicians and songwriters were turning into "collateral damage in the race by policymakers and tech firms towards AI supremacy".

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

"Should we are able in establishing that AI assisted to write the lyrics and tune in 'I Run' and are awarded a portion of the song, we would seek to assign every one of Jorja's collaborators with a pro-rata share," it detailed.

The Ongoing Rise of Computer-Generated Music

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

• In June, the band Velvet Sundown accumulated vast numbers of streams before disclosing they used AI to aid develop their musical style.
• Recently, an AI-generated "artist" known as Breaking Rust led a US country digital song sales chart, showing that audiences are not always averse to hearing AI-made music.
• Suno was previously sued for copyright infringement by the industry's major largest record labels, but those legal actions have now been resolved.

Subsequently, Warner Music entered into a partnership with the company, which will enable users to create songs using the voices, names, and images of Warner artists who opt in to the service.

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

Just last week, a collective of prominent musicians including Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush issued a vinyl album featuring silent songs or audio of quiet studios in protest to potential revisions to intellectual property regulations.

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