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The music company representing award-winning singer Jorja Smith has declared its intention to receive a share of royalties from a song it asserts was produced using an AI "replica" of the singer's distinctive voice.

The song, titled 'I Run' by British dance act Haven, achieved widespread popularity on TikTok in October, partly due to its smooth R&B vocals by an unnamed woman vocalist.

Although its momentum and potential top 40 entry in the UK and US, the track was later banned by leading streaming platforms after industry bodies sent takedown requests, stating it violated copyright by impersonating another artist.

Even though 'I Run' has since been reissued with completely new singing, Smith's label, FAMM, maintains it is convinced the initial recording was made with AI programmed on her body of work and is now pursuing appropriate compensation.

A Broader Principle in Play

"The situation is not only about one artist. This is larger than one artist or a single track," the label stated in a recent announcement.

FAMM also expressed its view that "each iterations of the track violate the artist's legal rights and unjustly benefit from the creative output of all the writers with whom she works."

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

Implying that her fans were potentially misled by Haven's original release, the label concluded: "Our industry must not permit this to become the new normal."

Producers Acknowledge Using AI Tools

The team behind the track have openly confirmed utilizing AI during its production process.

Producer Harrison Walker clarified that the initial voice were actually his own but were extensively altered using AI music platform Suno, sometimes called the "advanced tool for music".

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

Donaghue and Walker maintain that they wrote and created the music themselves and have even shared files of their original production sessions.

"It shouldn't be mystery that I used AI-assisted vocal editing to transform solely my voice for 'I Run'," Walker said.

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

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

Legal Uncertainty and Industry Implications

Although their first version of 'I Run' was blocked from major rankings, the replacement recording managed to enter the UK Top 40 last week.

FAMM has framed the incident as a critical precedent for the entertainment sector's evolving relationship with artificial intelligence.

The label argued it had "a duty to voice concerns" and "encourage wider discussion", because AI is advancing at an "alarming rate and substantially exceeding legal oversight".

"AI-generated content should be clearly labelled as such so that the public may choose whether they consume it or not," the statement added.

Creators Become 'Unintended Damage'

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

The post warned that artists and creators were turning into "collateral damage in the competition by governments and tech firms towards AI supremacy".

It also stated that the label would share any awarded songwriting credits with the collaborators behind Smith's catalogue.

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

The Continuing Rise of AI Music

The proliferation of algorithmically created music has been a topic of both interest and consternation for the music industry.

• In the summer, 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 "performer" called Breaking Rust led a US genre digital song sales chart, demonstrating that listeners are not necessarily opposed to hearing computer-generated music.
• Suno was previously sued for copyright infringement by the industry's three biggest record labels, but those legal actions have now been resolved.

Following this, Warner Music established a collaboration with the company, which will allow users to create songs using the voices, names, and images of Warner artists who opt in to the service.

Yet, it is uncertain how a large number of established musicians will agree to such applications of their work.

Recently, a collective of renowned artists including Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush released a vinyl album containing silent songs or audio of empty studios in protest to proposed changes to intellectual property regulations.

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