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The record label representing award-winning singer Jorja Smith has declared its desire to receive a share of earnings from a track it claims was created using an artificial intelligence "replica" of the performer's unique vocal style.

The track, titled 'I Run' by British electronic duo Haven, achieved widespread popularity on social media last October, partly due to its smooth soul singing by an unnamed female singer.

Despite its success and potential chart entry in the UK and US, the track was subsequently banned by leading music services after music bodies issued takedown notices, stating it breached copyright by imitating another musician.

Even though 'I Run' has since been re-released with completely new vocals, Smith's label, FAMM, maintains it believes the original version was made with AI programmed on her extensive work and is now seeking financial compensation.

A Larger Issue in Play

"The situation isn't just about one artist. It's bigger than one artist or a single track," the label stated in a recent statement.

FAMM also stated its belief that "each iterations of the song violate the artist's rights and unfairly benefit from the work of all the writers with whom she works."

Famous for hits like 'Be Honest' and 'Little Things', Smith was named Best British Female at the prestigious Brit Awards in 2019.

Implying that her supporters were possibly misled by Haven's original release, the label added: "Our industry cannot permit this to become the standard practice."

Producers Acknowledge Employing AI Tools

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

Songwriter Harrison Walker explained that the initial voice were actually his own but were extensively manipulated using AI music software Suno, often referred to as the "advanced tool for music".

In addition, the other member, Waypoint, whose real name is Jacob Donaghue, confirmed on his accounts that AI was used to "apply our starting vocal a female quality".

Donaghue and Walker maintain that they wrote and produced the song themselves and have even shared evidence of their source production sessions.

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

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

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

Legal Gray Areas and Broader Impact

Although their first version of 'I Run' was blocked from official charts, the replacement recording did enter the UK Top 40 recently.

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

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

"Computer-created material should be transparently identified as such so that the public may choose whether they consume it or not," the message added.

Creators Become 'Unintended Victims'

Smith endorsed her label's statement on her personal social media page.

The post warned that artists and songwriters were becoming "collateral damage in the race by governments and tech firms towards AI supremacy".

It also noted that the label would distribute any awarded songwriting credits with the writers behind Smith's catalogue.

"If we are able in establishing that AI assisted to write the lyrics and melody in 'I Run' and are granted a share of the song, we would aim to assign each of Jorja's collaborators with a corresponding share," it detailed.

The Continuing Growth of AI Music

The emergence of AI-generated music has been a source of both fascination and anxiety for the entertainment world.

• In the summer, the group Velvet Sundown gathered vast numbers of streams before revealing they used AI to help develop their musical style.
• Recently, an AI-generated "artist" called Breaking Rust topped a US country sales chart, demonstrating that listeners are not necessarily opposed to consuming AI-made music.
• Suno was previously sued for copyright infringement by the industry's major largest record labels, though those cases have now been resolved.

Subsequently, Warner Music entered into a collaboration with the company, which will enable users to generate songs using the vocal likenesses, names, and images of Warner acts who opt in to the service.

However, it remains unclear how many established musicians will consent to such applications of their identity.

Just last week, a collective of prominent artists such as Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush issued a vinyl album containing tracks of silence or audio of quiet studios in protest to potential revisions to intellectual property regulations.

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