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The record label representing award-winning artist Jorja Smith has stated its desire to receive a portion of earnings from a track it asserts was created using an AI "replica" of the performer's distinctive vocal style.

The song, titled 'I Run' by UK dance act Haven, gained widespread traction on social media last October, in part due to its smooth R&B vocals by an unnamed woman vocalist.

Although its success and potential chart entry in both UK and US, the track was later banned by major music services after music bodies sent copyright notices, stating it violated copyright by imitating another musician.

Even though 'I Run' has since been re-released with different vocals, Smith's label, FAMM, insists it is convinced the original recording was made with AI trained on her extensive work and is now seeking appropriate compensation.

A Broader Issue at Stake

"The situation is not only about one artist. It's bigger than one artist or a single track," the label wrote in a public statement.

FAMM further stated its belief that "each iterations of the track violate the artist's rights and unfairly take advantage of the creative output of all the songwriters with whom she collaborates."

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

Suggesting that her fans were possibly deceived by Haven's original release, the label concluded: "We must not allow this to be the new normal."

Producers Admit Using AI Technology

The duo responsible for the song have openly admitted utilizing AI during its creation.

Songwriter Harrison Walker explained that the initial vocals were in fact his own but were extensively altered using music-generation platform Suno, sometimes called the "advanced tool for music".

In addition, the other member, Waypoint, whose real name is Jacob Donaghue, confirmed on social media that AI was used to "apply our original vocal a feminine tone".

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

"It shouldn't be secret that I used AI-assisted vocal processing to transform exclusively my voice for 'I Run'," Walker said.

"As a creator and maker, I enjoy using innovative technologies, techniques and staying on the cutting edge of what's happening," he added.

"In order to set the record clear, the people behind HAVEN are actual and human, and all we aim to do is make great music for other humans."

Legal Uncertainty and Industry Impact

While their first release of 'I Run' was suspended from official charts, the new recording managed to enter the UK Top 40 recently.

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

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

"AI-generated content should be transparently identified as such so that the public may decide whether they consume it or not," the statement continued.

Creators Become 'Collateral Victims'

Smith shared her label's position on her personal Instagram profile.

The text warned that artists and songwriters were turning into "unintended casualties in the competition by governments and tech firms towards AI supremacy".

It further stated that the label would distribute any potential songwriting credits with the collaborators behind Smith's music.

"Should we are able in establishing that AI assisted to compose the words and melody in 'I Run' and are awarded a portion of the song, we would seek to assign each of Jorja's collaborators with a corresponding share," it explained.

The Ongoing Rise of AI Music

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

• In June, the group Velvet Sundown gathered vast numbers of streams before revealing they used AI to help craft their musical style.
• Last month, an AI-generated "artist" known as Breaking Rust topped a US country sales chart, showing that listeners are not always averse to hearing computer-generated music.
• Suno was previously sued for copyright infringement by the world's three largest record labels, but those legal actions have now been resolved.

Subsequently, Warner Music entered into a partnership with the company, which will allow users to create songs using the vocal likenesses, names, and images of Warner artists who opt in to the program.

Yet, it remains uncertain how many established artists will consent to such applications of their identity.

Recently, 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 recordings of empty studios in protest to proposed changes to copyright law.

They argue these amendments would make it simpler for AI companies to develop models using copyrighted work without obtaining a license.