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The music company representing award-winning artist Jorja Smith has stated its intention to claim a portion of royalties from a track it asserts was produced using an artificial intelligence "clone" of the performer's distinctive voice.

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

Although its momentum and potential top 40 position in both UK and US, the song was later removed by leading streaming platforms after industry bodies issued copyright requests, stating it breached intellectual property law by imitating another artist.

Even though 'I Run' has since been re-released with different singing, Smith's label, FAMM, insists it believes the initial version was generated with AI programmed on her body of work and is now seeking appropriate redress.

A Broader Principle in Play

"This is not only about Jorja. It's larger than a single performer or one song," the label stated in a public statement.

FAMM also expressed its view that "both iterations of the track infringe on the artist's legal rights and unfairly take advantage of the work of all the songwriters with whom she collaborates."

Known for songs like 'Be Honest' and 'Little Things', Smith was named British Female Solo Artist at the annual 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."

Producers Admit Using AI Technology

The duo behind the song have publicly confirmed using AI in its production process.

Songwriter Harrison Walker clarified that the initial voice were actually his own but were heavily manipulated using AI music software Suno, sometimes referred to as the "ChatGPT for music".

In addition, the other member, Waypoint, identified as Jacob Donaghue, confirmed on his accounts that AI was used to "apply our starting vocal a female tone".

Donaghue and Walker maintain that they composed and produced the music themselves and have even provided files of their original computer files.

"This is no mystery that I used AI-assisted vocal editing to transform exclusively my voice for 'I Run'," Walker elaborated.

"Being a songwriter and producer, I enjoy experimenting with new tools, methods and remaining on the forefront of what's happening," he continued.

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

Regulatory Gray Areas and Broader Implications

While their original version of 'I Run' was blocked from official rankings, the replacement recording managed to enter the UK Top 40 recently.

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

The label stated it had "an obligation to speak up" and "stimulate wider discussion", because AI is proliferating at an "rapid rate and substantially exceeding regulation".

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

Artists as 'Collateral Damage'

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

The post cautioned that artists and songwriters were turning into "collateral damage in the race by policymakers and tech firms towards AI supremacy".

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

"If we are successful in establishing that AI assisted to write the lyrics and tune in 'I Run' and are granted a portion of the song, we would aim to allocate each of Jorja's co-writers with a pro-rata share," it explained.

The Continuing Growth of Computer-Generated Music

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

• In the summer, the group Velvet Sundown accumulated vast numbers of plays before revealing they used AI to aid develop their musical style.
• Last month, an AI-generated "performer" called 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 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 allow users to generate songs using the vocal likenesses, names, and images of Warner acts who opt in to the service.

However, it is uncertain how many established musicians will consent to such uses of their identity.

Recently, a group of renowned artists such as Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush issued a vinyl album featuring silent songs or audio of quiet studios in protest to potential changes to intellectual property regulations.

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