🔗 Share this article Soul Singer the Artist's Record Label Takes a Firm Position Regarding Popular 'Artificial Intelligence Clone' Track The artist's vocals were allegedly copied in the creation of the viral song, 'I Run'. The music company representing Brit Award-winning singer Jorja Smith has stated its desire to claim a portion of earnings from a track it claims was produced using an AI "replica" of the performer's distinctive vocal style. The track, titled 'I Run' by British dance act Haven, achieved widespread popularity on social media last October, partly due to its smooth R&B vocals by an unnamed female singer. Although its success and potential chart position in both UK and US, the song was later banned by major music services after industry bodies issued takedown requests, stating it breached intellectual property law by imitating another musician. Although 'I Run' has since been reissued with different vocals, Smith's label, FAMM, insists it is convinced the original recording was generated with AI trained on her extensive work and is now pursuing appropriate redress. A Larger Principle at Stake "The situation isn't just about one artist. This is bigger than a single performer or one song," the label stated in a public statement. FAMM further stated its view that "each versions of the song infringe on Jorja's rights and unfairly take advantage of the creative output of all the writers with whom she collaborates." Known for songs like 'Be Honest' and 'Little Things', Smith was crowned British Female Solo Artist at the prestigious Brit Awards in 2019. Suggesting that her fans were possibly misled by Haven's original release, the label added: "Our industry cannot allow this to be the standard practice." Producers Acknowledge Using AI Tools A producer admitted the application of AI in a public post. The team responsible for the track have openly admitted using AI in its production process. Producer Harrison Walker clarified that the original vocals were in fact his own but were heavily manipulated using music-generation software Suno, often referred to as the "ChatGPT for music". In addition, the second producer, Waypoint, whose real name is Jacob Donaghue, stated on social media that AI was used to "apply our original vocal a feminine quality". Donaghue and Walker maintain that they wrote and produced the music themselves and have even shared evidence of their source computer files. "It shouldn't be mystery that I used AI-assisted vocal processing to convert exclusively my voice for 'I Run'," Walker said. "As a songwriter and maker, I like using new tools, techniques and remaining on the cutting edge of what's happening," he added. "In order to set the facts straight, the people behind HAVEN are actual and human, and all we aim to do is make great music for other humans." Legal Gray Areas and Broader Implications The singer has won multiple Brit Awards, among them the best female artist in 2019. While their original version of 'I Run' was suspended from major charts, the new recording did break into the UK Top 40 last week. FAMM has framed the entire episode as a critical test case for the music industry's evolving relationship with AI. The label stated it had "an obligation to voice concerns" and "stimulate wider discussion", because AI is proliferating at an "alarming rate and substantially outpacing regulation". "AI-generated material should be clearly identified as such so that the public may choose whether they listen to it or not," the message added. Creators Become 'Unintended Damage' Smith shared her label's statement on her personal Instagram profile. The post warned that artists and creators were turning into "collateral damage in the race by governments and tech firms towards AI dominance". It further noted that the label would share any awarded songwriting credits with the writers behind Smith's catalogue. "If we are able in establishing that AI assisted to write the words and melody in 'I Run' and are granted a portion of the song, we would aim to allocate each of Jorja's collaborators with a pro-rata share," it explained. The Continuing Growth of AI Music The proliferation of algorithmically created music has been a topic of both interest and anxiety for the music industry. In the summer, the group Velvet Sundown accumulated vast numbers of streams before disclosing they used AI to help craft their musical style. Last month, an AI-generated "artist" called Breaking Rust led a US genre sales chart, demonstrating that audiences are not always opposed to consuming computer-generated music. Suno was last year taken to court for alleged violations by the industry's major biggest record labels, though those cases have now been resolved. Subsequently, Warner Music established a collaboration with the firm, which will allow users to generate songs using the vocal likenesses, names, and images of Warner artists who opt in to the program. Yet, it remains unclear how a large number of established musicians will consent to such uses of their identity. Just last week, a group of renowned musicians such as Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush released a vinyl album featuring tracks of silence or recordings of quiet studios in protest to proposed changes to intellectual property regulations. They contend these amendments would make it easier for AI companies to train models using copyrighted work without securing a permission.