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The record label representing award-winning artist Jorja Smith has stated its intention to receive a share of royalties from a song it claims was created using an artificial intelligence "replica" of the performer's unique voice.

The song, titled 'I Run' by British dance act Haven, gained massive popularity on social media last October, partly due to its smooth R&B vocals by an unnamed woman singer.

Despite its momentum and potential chart position in both UK and US, the track was later banned by major streaming platforms after music organizations sent copyright notices, alleging it breached copyright by impersonating another musician.

Although 'I Run' has now been reissued with completely new singing, Smith's label, FAMM, insists it believes the original recording was made with AI programmed on her extensive work and is now pursuing appropriate redress.

A Broader Principle in Play

"This isn't just about one artist. It's larger than a single performer or one song," the label wrote in a recent statement.

FAMM also stated its view that "both 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 Best British Female at the annual Brit Awards in 2019.

Suggesting that her fans were potentially misled by Haven's first release, the label concluded: "We must not allow this to be the standard practice."

Creators Admit Employing AI Tools

The team behind the track have publicly admitted utilizing AI during its production process.

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

In addition, the second member, Waypoint, whose real name is Jacob Donaghue, stated 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 source production sessions.

"It is no secret that I used AI-assisted vocal processing to transform exclusively my voice for 'I Run'," Walker said.

"Being a creator and maker, I enjoy experimenting with innovative technologies, methods and staying on the cutting edge of what's happening," he added.

"In order to set the record straight, the people 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

Although their original version of 'I Run' was suspended from official rankings, the new version did enter the UK Top 40 recently.

FAMM has framed the entire episode as a significant precedent for the entertainment sector's changing relationship with artificial intelligence.

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

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

Creators Become 'Unintended Victims'

Smith endorsed her label's position on her own social media profile.

The post cautioned that artists and songwriters were turning into "unintended casualties in the race by governments and corporations towards AI dominance".

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

"Should we are able in proving that AI assisted to compose the lyrics and tune in 'I Run' and are awarded a portion of the song, we would aim to assign every one of Jorja's collaborators with a corresponding share," it detailed.

The Ongoing Growth of AI Music

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

• In June, the group Velvet Sundown gathered millions of streams before revealing they used AI to aid develop their sound.
• Recently, an AI-generated "artist" called Breaking Rust topped a US country digital song sales chart, showing that audiences are not necessarily opposed to consuming AI-made music.
• Suno was last year sued for copyright infringement by the world's three largest record labels, though those legal actions have now been settled.

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

Yet, it remains uncertain how a large number of established artists will agree to such applications of their identity.

Recently, a group of renowned musicians including Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush released a vinyl album containing silent songs or recordings of quiet studios in opposition to proposed revisions to copyright law.

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