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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 track it asserts was produced using an AI "replica" of the performer's unique vocal style.

The track, titled 'I Run' by British dance act Haven, achieved massive popularity on social media last October, in part due to its polished soul vocals by an uncredited female vocalist.

Although its success and impending top 40 entry in both UK and US, the track was subsequently banned by leading streaming platforms after music organizations sent takedown requests, alleging it violated intellectual property law by impersonating another artist.

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

A Broader Issue in Play

"The situation is not only about one artist. It's larger than a single performer or one song," the label stated in a recent announcement.

FAMM also expressed its belief that "each versions of the track infringe on Jorja's rights and unjustly benefit from the work of all the songwriters with whom she works."

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

Implying that her supporters were potentially misled by Haven's original track, the label concluded: "Our industry cannot allow this to be the new normal."

Producers Acknowledge Employing AI Tools

The duo responsible for the song have publicly confirmed utilizing AI during its creation.

Producer Harrison Walker clarified that the original vocals were actually his own but were extensively altered using AI music software Suno, often referred to as the "advanced tool for music".

Meanwhile, the second member, Waypoint, identified as Jacob Donaghue, stated on social media that AI was used to "give our starting vocal a female tone".

Donaghue and Walker assert that they composed and created the music themselves and have even provided evidence of their source production sessions.

"This is no secret that I used AI-powered vocal editing to convert solely my voice for 'I Run'," Walker elaborated.

"As a songwriter and producer, I enjoy experimenting with new tools, methods and remaining on the cutting edge of what's happening," he added.

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

Regulatory Uncertainty and Industry Implications

Although their first release of 'I Run' was blocked from major rankings, the replacement version did break into the UK Top 40 last week.

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

The label argued it had "an obligation to voice concerns" and "stimulate public discourse", because AI is proliferating at an "alarming rate and significantly exceeding legal oversight".

"AI-generated material should be transparently labelled as such so that the audience may decide whether they consume it or not," the message continued.

Creators Become 'Unintended Victims'

Smith endorsed her label's statement on her personal Instagram page.

The text warned that artists and songwriters were turning into "collateral damage in the race by policymakers and corporations towards AI dominance".

It also noted that the label would share any potential songwriting credits with the writers behind Smith's catalogue.

"Should we are successful in establishing that AI assisted to compose the words and melody in 'I Run' and are granted a share of the song, we would aim to assign every one of Jorja's co-writers with a corresponding share," it explained.

The Ongoing Rise of Computer-Generated Music

The proliferation of AI-generated music has been a source of both fascination and anxiety for the music industry.

• In the summer, the group Velvet Sundown accumulated millions of plays before disclosing they used AI to help craft their sound.
• Recently, an AI-generated "performer" known as Breaking Rust topped a US genre digital song sales chart, demonstrating that listeners are not always opposed to hearing computer-generated music.
• Suno was last year taken to court for alleged violations by the world's three biggest record labels, but those legal actions have since been settled.

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

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

Just last week, a collective of prominent artists such as Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush issued a vinyl album containing silent songs or audio of empty studios in opposition to potential changes to intellectual property regulations.

They argue these amendments would make it easier for AI companies to develop systems using protected work without securing a permission.