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The music company representing Brit Award-winning singer Jorja Smith has declared its intention to claim a portion of earnings from a track it claims was produced using an AI "clone" of the singer's distinctive vocal style.

The song, titled 'I Run' by UK electronic duo Haven, gained widespread popularity on social media in October, in part due to its smooth R&B vocals by an uncredited female vocalist.

Despite its success and impending top 40 entry in both UK and US, the track was subsequently removed by leading music services after industry bodies sent copyright notices, stating it breached intellectual property law by impersonating another musician.

Even though 'I Run' has now been reissued with completely new singing, Smith's label, FAMM, insists it is convinced the original recording was generated with AI programmed on her body of recordings and is now pursuing appropriate redress.

A Broader Principle in Play

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

FAMM further expressed its view that "each versions of the song infringe on the artist's rights and unjustly take advantage of the work of all the writers with whom she collaborates."

Famous for songs 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 potentially misled by Haven's original release, the label concluded: "We cannot allow this to be the standard practice."

Producers Acknowledge Employing AI Tools

The team responsible for the track have publicly admitted utilizing AI during its production process.

Producer Harrison Walker clarified that the original vocals were actually his own but were heavily altered using music-generation software Suno, often called the "ChatGPT for music".

In addition, the other member, Waypoint, identified as Jacob Donaghue, confirmed on his accounts that AI was used to "give our starting vocal a feminine tone".

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

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

"As a creator and maker, I enjoy using new tools, methods and remaining on the cutting edge of industry trends," he added.

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

Legal Uncertainty and Industry Implications

While their first version of 'I Run' was suspended from major rankings, the replacement recording did break into the UK Top 40 recently.

FAMM has framed the entire episode as a critical precedent for the entertainment sector's evolving relationship with artificial intelligence.

The label argued it had "an obligation to voice concerns" and "stimulate public discourse", because AI is advancing at an "alarming rate and significantly exceeding legal oversight".

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

Creators Become 'Unintended Damage'

Smith endorsed her label's position on her own social media page.

The text warned that musicians and creators were turning into "unintended casualties in the competition by governments and corporations towards AI supremacy".

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

"If we are successful in proving that AI helped to compose the lyrics and melody in 'I Run' and are awarded a portion of the song, we would seek to allocate each of Jorja's co-writers with a pro-rata share," it detailed.

The Ongoing Growth of AI Music

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

• In the summer, the group Velvet Sundown gathered vast numbers of streams before disclosing they used AI to help craft their musical style.
• Last month, an AI-generated "performer" called Breaking Rust led a US country digital song sales chart, showing that audiences are not always averse to consuming AI-made music.
• Suno was previously sued for alleged violations by the industry's major largest record labels, but those legal actions have now been settled.

Following this, Warner Music entered into a collaboration with the firm, which will enable users to create songs using the vocal likenesses, names, and images of Warner acts who opt in to the service.

Yet, it is unclear how many established musicians will consent to such applications of their identity.

Just last week, a group of renowned artists including Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush released a vinyl album featuring silent songs or recordings of quiet studios in protest to potential changes to copyright law.

They contend these amendments would make it simpler for AI companies to develop models using copyrighted work without obtaining a permission.