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The music company representing Brit Award-winning singer Jorja Smith has stated its intention to claim a portion of royalties from a song it claims was created using an AI "clone" of the singer's unique vocal style.

The song, titled 'I Run' by British electronic duo Haven, gained massive traction on TikTok last October, in part due to its polished soul singing by an unnamed female vocalist.

Despite its momentum and impending top 40 entry in both UK and US, the track was subsequently banned by leading music services after industry bodies sent takedown requests, alleging it breached intellectual property law by imitating another artist.

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

A Broader Principle in Play

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

FAMM also stated its view that "each iterations of the song infringe on the artist's rights and unfairly benefit from the work of all the songwriters with whom she works."

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

Implying that her fans were potentially deceived by Haven's original release, the label added: "Our industry must not allow this to become the standard practice."

Producers Admit Employing AI Tools

The duo behind the track have publicly confirmed using AI during its creation.

Songwriter Harrison Walker explained that the original voice were in fact his own but were extensively altered using music-generation software Suno, often called the "advanced tool for music".

Meanwhile, the second producer, Waypoint, identified as Jacob Donaghue, confirmed on social media that AI was used to "apply our starting vocal a feminine tone".

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

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

"As a creator and producer, I enjoy experimenting with new tools, methods and staying on the cutting edge of industry trends," he continued.

"To set the facts straight, the people behind HAVEN are actual and human, and all we aim to do is make great music for other humans."

Regulatory Uncertainty and Industry Implications

While their original version of 'I Run' was blocked from major charts, the replacement recording managed to enter the UK Top 40 last week.

FAMM has framed the entire episode as a critical test case for the entertainment sector's changing interaction with AI.

The label stated it had "a duty to speak up" and "encourage public discourse", because AI is advancing at an "rapid rate and substantially outpacing regulation".

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

Creators Become 'Unintended Victims'

Smith shared her label's position on her own social media profile.

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

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

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

The Ongoing Rise of AI Music

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

• In the summer, the band Velvet Sundown accumulated millions of plays before disclosing they used AI to aid craft their sound.
• Last month, an AI-generated "performer" called Breaking Rust led a US country sales chart, demonstrating that audiences are not necessarily averse to consuming AI-made music.
• Suno was last year taken to court for copyright infringement by the industry's major biggest record labels, though those cases have since been settled.

Subsequently, Warner Music entered into a partnership with the firm, which will enable users to generate songs using the voices, names, and likenesses of Warner acts who agree to the service.

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

Just last week, a group of prominent artists including Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush issued a vinyl album featuring silent songs or audio of empty studios in opposition to proposed revisions to intellectual property regulations.

They contend these amendments would make it simpler for AI companies to train models using copyrighted work without securing a license.