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The record label representing Brit Award-winning artist Jorja Smith has declared its desire to claim a share of earnings from a song it asserts was created using an AI "replica" of the performer's unique vocal style.

The song, titled 'I Run' by UK electronic duo Haven, gained massive traction on social media last October, in part due to its polished soul vocals by an uncredited female singer.

Despite its momentum and potential top 40 position in both UK and US, the track was later removed by leading music services after music bodies issued takedown requests, stating it violated intellectual property law by imitating another musician.

Although 'I Run' has now been reissued with completely new vocals, Smith's label, FAMM, insists it is convinced the original version was made with AI trained on her extensive recordings and is now pursuing financial compensation.

A Larger Issue in Play

"The situation isn't just about one artist. This is bigger than a single performer or a single track," the label wrote in a recent announcement.

FAMM also stated its view that "each versions of the song infringe on Jorja's rights and unfairly benefit from the creative output 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 supporters were possibly misled by Haven's first track, the label added: "Our industry must not permit this to be the standard practice."

Creators Acknowledge Using AI Technology

The team behind the track have openly admitted using AI during its production process.

Producer Harrison Walker explained that the initial voice were actually his own but were heavily manipulated using music-generation platform Suno, sometimes referred to as the "ChatGPT for music".

In addition, the other producer, Waypoint, whose real name is Jacob Donaghue, stated on his accounts that AI was used to "apply our starting vocal a female quality".

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

"This shouldn't be mystery that I used AI-powered vocal processing to convert exclusively my voice for 'I Run'," Walker elaborated.

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

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

Legal Gray Areas and Industry Impact

Although their first version of 'I Run' was blocked from official rankings, the new version managed to break into the UK Top 40 last week.

FAMM has framed the incident as a critical precedent for the entertainment sector's changing relationship with AI.

The label stated it had "a duty to speak up" and "stimulate wider discussion", because AI is advancing at an "alarming rate and substantially outpacing regulation".

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

Artists as 'Unintended Damage'

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

The post warned that artists and songwriters were becoming "collateral damage in the race by governments and tech firms towards AI supremacy".

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

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

The Continuing Growth of Computer-Generated Music

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

• In June, the group Velvet Sundown accumulated millions of plays before disclosing they used AI to help develop their musical style.
• Last month, an AI-generated "performer" known as Breaking Rust led a US country digital song sales chart, showing that audiences are not always averse to consuming AI-made music.
• Suno was last year sued for alleged violations by the world's major largest record labels, though those legal actions have now been settled.

Following this, Warner Music established a partnership with the firm, which will allow users to generate songs using the vocal likenesses, names, and likenesses 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 identity.

Just last week, a collective of renowned artists including Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush issued a vinyl album featuring silent songs or audio of empty studios in protest to proposed revisions to copyright law.

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