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The music company representing Brit Award-winning artist Jorja Smith has stated its desire to receive a share of royalties from a song it asserts was produced using an AI "replica" of the performer's unique vocal style.

The song, titled 'I Run' by British electronic duo Haven, gained massive popularity on social media in October, in part due to its polished soul vocals by an unnamed female vocalist.

Despite its momentum and impending top 40 entry in the UK and US, the track was later removed by major music services after industry organizations issued copyright requests, stating it breached intellectual property law by imitating another musician.

Although 'I Run' has since been re-released with completely new singing, Smith's label, FAMM, insists it is convinced the original recording was generated with AI programmed on her extensive recordings and is now pursuing financial redress.

A Broader Principle in Play

"This isn't just about Jorja. This is bigger than one artist or a single track," the label wrote in a public statement.

FAMM further stated its belief that "both iterations of the track violate the artist's rights and unfairly benefit from the work of all the writers with whom she works."

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

Implying that her supporters were potentially deceived by Haven's original track, the label added: "We cannot permit this to become the new normal."

Creators Admit Using AI Tools

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

Songwriter Harrison Walker clarified that the initial voice were actually his own but were heavily manipulated using AI music software Suno, sometimes referred to as the "advanced tool for music".

In addition, the other member, Waypoint, whose real name is Jacob Donaghue, stated on social media that AI was used to "give our starting vocal a female tone".

Donaghue and Walker assert 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-powered vocal processing to transform solely my voice for 'I Run'," Walker elaborated.

"Being a songwriter and producer, I enjoy experimenting with innovative technologies, methods and remaining on the forefront of what's happening," he continued.

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

Regulatory Gray Areas and Broader Implications

Although their first version of 'I Run' was suspended from major charts, the replacement recording did enter the UK Top 40 recently.

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

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

"Computer-created content should be transparently labelled as such so that the audience may choose whether they consume it or not," the message added.

Artists as 'Collateral Victims'

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

The post cautioned that musicians and creators were becoming "unintended casualties in the race by policymakers and tech firms towards AI supremacy".

It further stated that the label would share any awarded songwriting credits with the writers behind Smith's music.

"If we are successful in proving that AI assisted to compose the lyrics and tune in 'I Run' and are granted a share of the song, we would aim to allocate every one of Jorja's co-writers with a pro-rata share," it explained.

The Continuing Growth of Computer-Generated Music

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

• In the summer, the band Velvet Sundown accumulated millions of plays before disclosing they used AI to aid develop their sound.
• Last month, an AI-generated "performer" called Breaking Rust topped a US country sales chart, demonstrating that audiences are not necessarily opposed to consuming AI-made music.
• Suno was last year taken to court for alleged violations by the world's three largest record labels, but those cases have now been settled.

Subsequently, Warner Music established a partnership with the company, which will enable users to create songs using the voices, names, and images of Warner acts who opt in to the service.

However, it remains uncertain how a large number of established artists will consent to such uses of their work.

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

They contend these changes would make it easier for AI companies to train systems using copyrighted work without obtaining a license.