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The music company representing Brit Award-winning singer Jorja Smith has declared its intention to receive a share of earnings from a track it asserts was created using an AI "clone" of the singer's unique voice.

The track, titled 'I Run' by UK dance act Haven, gained massive popularity on social media in October, partly due to its smooth R&B vocals by an uncredited female singer.

Although its momentum and impending top 40 position in both UK and US, the song was subsequently banned by major music services after music organizations sent takedown notices, stating it breached intellectual property law by imitating another musician.

Even though 'I Run' has now been reissued with different singing, Smith's label, FAMM, insists it believes the original version was generated with AI programmed on her extensive work and is now pursuing financial compensation.

A Larger Principle in Play

"This isn't just about Jorja. This is larger than one artist or a single track," the label wrote in a recent announcement.

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

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

Suggesting that her fans were possibly misled by Haven's original track, the label added: "We cannot allow this to be the new normal."

Creators Acknowledge Using AI Technology

The team behind the song have openly confirmed utilizing AI during its creation.

Producer Harrison Walker clarified that the original voice were in fact his own but were heavily manipulated using AI music platform Suno, often referred to as the "ChatGPT for music".

Meanwhile, the other member, Waypoint, identified as Jacob Donaghue, confirmed on social media that AI was used to "give our original vocal a feminine tone".

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

"This is no mystery that I used AI-powered vocal processing to convert solely my voice for 'I Run'," Walker said.

"As a creator and producer, I enjoy using new tools, techniques and staying on the forefront of industry trends," he added.

"To set the facts straight, the artists behind HAVEN are actual and human, and all we want to do is make enjoyable music for fellow humans."

Legal Gray Areas and Industry Implications

While their first version of 'I Run' was blocked from official charts, the new version managed to break into the UK Top 40 recently.

FAMM has framed the incident as a significant precedent for the music industry's evolving relationship with AI.

The label stated it had "an obligation to voice concerns" and "encourage wider discussion", because AI is proliferating at an "rapid rate and significantly outpacing legal oversight".

"Computer-created content should be clearly identified as such so that the public may choose whether they listen to it or not," the message added.

Creators Become 'Unintended Damage'

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

The post cautioned that musicians and creators were turning into "collateral damage in the race by policymakers and tech firms towards AI dominance".

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

"If we are successful in establishing that AI helped to write the lyrics and tune in 'I Run' and are granted a portion of the song, we would aim to allocate every one of Jorja's co-writers with a corresponding share," it detailed.

The Ongoing Growth of AI Music

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

• In the summer, the group Velvet Sundown gathered vast numbers of streams before revealing they used AI to aid craft their sound.
• Last month, an AI-generated "artist" known as Breaking Rust topped a US genre sales chart, demonstrating that listeners are not always opposed to consuming AI-made music.
• Suno was previously taken to court for alleged violations by the world's three largest record labels, though those legal actions have since been resolved.

Subsequently, Warner Music entered into a partnership with the firm, which will allow users to create songs using the vocal likenesses, names, and likenesses of Warner artists who agree to the service.

However, it is uncertain how many established musicians will agree to such applications of their work.

Just last week, a group of renowned musicians 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 proposed revisions to copyright law.

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