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The record label representing Brit Award-winning artist Jorja Smith has declared its desire to receive a share of royalties from a song it asserts was produced using an artificial intelligence "replica" of the singer's distinctive vocal style.

The track, titled 'I Run' by UK electronic duo Haven, gained massive popularity on TikTok in October, in part due to its smooth R&B vocals by an unnamed woman singer.

Although its momentum and potential chart position in both UK and US, the song was later removed by major music services after industry organizations sent takedown requests, stating it breached intellectual property law by imitating another musician.

Even though 'I Run' has since been re-released with completely new singing, Smith's label, FAMM, insists it is convinced the initial version was made with AI trained on her extensive recordings and is now seeking appropriate compensation.

A Broader Principle at Stake

"This is not only about one artist. It's bigger than one artist or one song," the label wrote in a public statement.

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

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

Implying that her fans were possibly misled by Haven's original track, the label concluded: "Our industry must not permit this to become the new normal."

Producers Acknowledge Using AI Technology

The duo responsible for the track have openly confirmed using AI during its creation.

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

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

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

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

"Being a songwriter and maker, I enjoy using innovative technologies, techniques and remaining on the cutting edge of what's happening," he added.

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

Regulatory Gray Areas and Industry Impact

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 entire episode as a significant precedent for the music industry's changing relationship with artificial intelligence.

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

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

Artists as 'Unintended Victims'

Smith shared her label's statement on her own Instagram page.

The post cautioned that musicians and creators were turning into "unintended casualties in the competition by governments and corporations towards AI dominance".

It further noted that the label would distribute any potential royalties with the collaborators behind Smith's catalogue.

"If we are able in establishing that AI assisted to write the words and tune in 'I Run' and are granted a portion of the song, we would seek to assign every one of Jorja's co-writers with a corresponding share," it detailed.

The Continuing Rise of AI Music

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

• In June, the group Velvet Sundown accumulated millions of streams before disclosing they used AI to help develop their musical style.
• Last month, an AI-generated "performer" called Breaking Rust topped a US country sales chart, showing that audiences are not necessarily opposed to consuming AI-made music.
• Suno was previously sued for copyright infringement by the world's major biggest record labels, but those legal actions have now been settled.

Following this, Warner Music established a collaboration with the company, which will enable users to generate songs using the voices, names, and likenesses of Warner artists who agree to the service.

However, it remains uncertain how many established musicians will consent to such applications of their identity.

Recently, a group of renowned musicians such as Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush issued a vinyl album featuring tracks of silence or audio of quiet studios in protest to potential revisions to copyright law.

They contend these changes would make it simpler for AI companies to develop systems using protected work without obtaining a license.