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The record label representing Brit Award-winning singer Jorja Smith has declared its desire to receive a share of earnings from a song it claims was created using an artificial intelligence "clone" of the singer's unique voice.

The song, titled 'I Run' by British electronic duo Haven, gained widespread traction on social media last October, in part due to its polished R&B vocals by an uncredited female singer.

Despite its momentum and impending chart position in both UK and US, the song was later removed by leading streaming platforms after industry organizations sent copyright notices, alleging it breached copyright by impersonating another artist.

Even though 'I Run' has since been reissued with completely new vocals, Smith's label, FAMM, maintains it believes the initial version was made with AI trained on her extensive recordings and is now pursuing financial redress.

A Broader Principle in Play

"The situation is not only about one artist. This is larger than one artist or one song," the label stated in a recent announcement.

FAMM further stated its view that "each iterations of the song infringe on Jorja's rights and unfairly benefit from the creative output of all the writers with whom she collaborates."

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

Implying that her supporters were possibly misled by Haven's first release, the label concluded: "Our industry must not allow this to become the new normal."

Creators Acknowledge Using AI Technology

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

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

In addition, the second producer, Waypoint, whose real name is Jacob Donaghue, stated on his accounts that AI was used to "give our original vocal a feminine quality".

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

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

"As a songwriter and maker, I enjoy using new tools, methods and remaining on the forefront of industry trends," he continued.

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

Legal Uncertainty and Broader Impact

While their original release of 'I Run' was blocked from major rankings, the new version managed to enter the UK Top 40 last week.

FAMM has framed the incident as a critical precedent for the music industry's evolving interaction with artificial intelligence.

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

"AI-generated material should be clearly identified as such so that the audience may choose whether they consume it or not," the statement added.

Artists as 'Unintended Damage'

Smith endorsed her label's position on her own Instagram profile.

The text warned that musicians and creators were turning into "collateral damage in the competition by policymakers and tech firms towards AI supremacy".

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

"Should we are able in establishing that AI assisted to write the words and tune in 'I Run' and are awarded a share of the song, we would seek to assign every one of Jorja's collaborators with a pro-rata share," it explained.

The Continuing Growth 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 gathered vast numbers of plays before revealing they used AI to aid craft their musical style.
• Recently, an AI-generated "performer" known as Breaking Rust led a US country sales chart, demonstrating that listeners are not necessarily opposed to consuming AI-made music.
• Suno was previously taken to court for copyright infringement by the industry's major biggest record labels, but those cases have since been settled.

Subsequently, 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 artists who agree to the program.

Yet, it remains uncertain how many well-known artists will consent to such applications of their work.

Recently, a collective of prominent artists such as Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush issued a vinyl album containing tracks of silence or audio of empty studios in protest to potential changes to copyright law.

They argue these changes would make it easier for AI companies to develop models using protected work without obtaining a permission.