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The music company representing Brit Award-winning artist Jorja Smith has stated its desire to claim a share of earnings from a song it claims was produced using an artificial intelligence "replica" of the singer's unique voice.

The song, titled 'I Run' by British electronic duo Haven, gained widespread traction on social media last October, partly due to its smooth soul vocals by an unnamed woman vocalist.

Despite its momentum and potential chart entry in both UK and US, the song was subsequently banned by major music services after industry bodies sent copyright requests, alleging it breached copyright by impersonating another artist.

Even though 'I Run' has now been re-released with completely new singing, Smith's label, FAMM, maintains it believes the initial recording was made with AI trained on her body of work and is now pursuing financial compensation.

A Broader Principle at Stake

"This isn't just about one artist. This is larger than one artist or one song," the label stated in a public statement.

FAMM further stated its view that "each iterations of the song infringe on Jorja's rights and unjustly benefit from the creative output of all the songwriters with whom she works."

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

Suggesting that her fans were possibly misled by Haven's first release, the label added: "Our industry cannot allow this to be the new normal."

Producers Admit Employing AI Technology

The duo behind the track have openly confirmed using AI in its production process.

Songwriter Harrison Walker clarified that the original vocals were actually his own but were extensively manipulated using AI music software Suno, often referred to as the "ChatGPT for music".

In addition, the other producer, Waypoint, identified as Jacob Donaghue, stated on social media that AI was used to "give our starting vocal a feminine quality".

Donaghue and Walker maintain that they composed and produced the song themselves and have even shared evidence of their original computer files.

"This is no mystery that I used AI-powered vocal processing to convert solely my voice for 'I Run'," Walker said.

"Being a creator and maker, I enjoy experimenting with new tools, methods and remaining on the cutting edge of what's happening," he added.

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

Regulatory Uncertainty and Broader Implications

Although their original release of 'I Run' was blocked from official charts, the new version did break into the UK Top 40 recently.

FAMM has positioned the incident as a critical precedent for the music industry's changing relationship with artificial intelligence.

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

"AI-generated material should be transparently identified as such so that the audience may decide whether they consume it or not," the statement continued.

Artists as 'Unintended Victims'

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

The text cautioned that artists and creators were becoming "collateral damage in the competition by governments and corporations towards AI supremacy".

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

"Should we are successful in proving that AI helped to compose the words and tune in 'I Run' and are granted a share of the song, we would seek to allocate each of Jorja's co-writers with a corresponding share," it detailed.

The Ongoing Growth of AI Music

The emergence of algorithmically created music has been a source of both fascination and anxiety for the music industry.

• In the summer, the group Velvet Sundown accumulated millions of plays before disclosing they used AI to help craft their musical style.
• Last month, an AI-generated "artist" known as Breaking Rust led a US genre sales chart, demonstrating that listeners are not necessarily averse to consuming AI-made music.
• Suno was previously sued for copyright infringement by the world's three biggest record labels, but those legal actions have since been resolved.

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

Yet, it remains unclear how a large number of well-known artists will consent to such applications of their identity.

Recently, a collective 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 protest to proposed changes to copyright law.

They argue these amendments would make it easier for AI companies to train models using protected work without securing a license.