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The record label representing award-winning artist Jorja Smith has stated its intention to receive a share of earnings from a track it claims was created using an AI "replica" of the singer's distinctive vocal style.

The song, titled 'I Run' by British dance act Haven, gained widespread popularity on social media in October, in part due to its smooth soul singing by an uncredited female vocalist.

Despite its success and potential chart position in the UK and US, the song was later removed by leading music services after industry organizations sent takedown notices, alleging it breached intellectual property law by imitating another musician.

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

A Broader Principle in Play

"This isn't just about Jorja. This is bigger than one artist or a single track," the label stated in a recent announcement.

FAMM also stated its view that "both iterations of the song infringe on the artist's rights and unfairly take advantage of the work of all the songwriters with whom she collaborates."

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

Implying that her fans were potentially deceived by Haven's original release, the label added: "We must not permit this to become the new normal."

Producers Admit Employing AI Tools

The team responsible for the song have openly confirmed using AI in its creation.

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

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

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

"It shouldn't be secret that I used AI-assisted vocal editing to transform solely my voice for 'I Run'," Walker elaborated.

"As a songwriter and maker, I enjoy experimenting with innovative technologies, techniques and staying on the cutting edge of industry trends," he added.

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

Legal Uncertainty and Broader Impact

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

FAMM has positioned the incident as a significant precedent for the music industry's evolving interaction with AI.

The label stated it had "a duty to voice concerns" and "stimulate wider discussion", because AI is advancing at an "rapid rate and significantly exceeding regulation".

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

Artists as 'Collateral Damage'

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

The text warned that musicians and songwriters were becoming "collateral damage in the race by governments and tech firms towards AI dominance".

It also stated that the label would distribute any potential royalties with the writers behind Smith's music.

"Should we are able in proving that AI helped to write the lyrics and tune in 'I Run' and are granted a share of the song, we would aim to assign each of Jorja's co-writers with a corresponding share," it explained.

The Continuing Growth of Computer-Generated Music

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

• In the summer, the group Velvet Sundown gathered millions of plays before disclosing they used AI to help craft their sound.
• Recently, an AI-generated "artist" known as Breaking Rust led a US genre digital song sales chart, demonstrating that audiences are not necessarily opposed to hearing computer-generated music.
• Suno was previously taken to court for alleged violations by the industry's three biggest record labels, but those legal actions have since been resolved.

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

Yet, it remains unclear how a large number of well-known musicians will consent to such uses of their work.

Just last week, a group of renowned artists including Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush released a vinyl album containing tracks of silence or audio of quiet studios in protest to proposed revisions to intellectual property regulations.

They contend these changes would make it easier for AI companies to develop models using copyrighted work without securing a permission.