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The record label representing Brit Award-winning singer Jorja Smith has declared its desire to claim a portion of earnings from a song it asserts was created using an AI "replica" of the singer's unique voice.

The song, titled 'I Run' by British electronic duo Haven, gained widespread popularity on social media in October, in part due to its smooth R&B singing by an unnamed woman singer.

Despite its success and potential chart entry in both UK and US, the song was later banned by major music services after music bodies sent copyright requests, stating it breached intellectual property law by imitating another artist.

Even though 'I Run' has now been re-released with completely new vocals, Smith's label, FAMM, insists it is convinced the original version was generated with AI programmed on her body of work and is now pursuing financial compensation.

A Broader Principle in Play

"The situation is not only about Jorja. This is bigger than one artist or one song," the label wrote in a recent statement.

FAMM further expressed its belief that "each versions of the track violate Jorja's legal rights and unjustly benefit from the work of all the writers with whom she works."

Famous 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 potentially misled by Haven's original track, the label added: "We must not permit this to be the standard practice."

Creators Admit Employing AI Technology

The duo responsible for the song have openly admitted utilizing AI during its creation.

Songwriter Harrison Walker explained that the original voice were in fact his own but were heavily altered using music-generation platform Suno, often called the "advanced tool for music".

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

Donaghue and Walker assert that they composed and produced the music themselves and have even provided files of their source production sessions.

"This shouldn't be secret that I used AI-assisted vocal editing to convert solely my voice for 'I Run'," Walker said.

"As a creator and maker, I enjoy using innovative technologies, methods and staying on the cutting edge of industry trends," he added.

"In order to set the facts clear, the people behind HAVEN are actual and human, and all we want to do is make enjoyable music for other humans."

Regulatory Gray Areas and Industry Implications

While their original release of 'I Run' was suspended from major charts, the new recording did enter the UK Top 40 recently.

FAMM has framed the entire episode as a significant precedent for the entertainment sector's changing interaction with AI.

The label argued it had "an obligation to speak up" and "stimulate public discourse", because AI is proliferating at an "alarming rate and significantly outpacing regulation".

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

Artists as 'Collateral Victims'

Smith shared her label's position on her personal Instagram profile.

The post warned that musicians and songwriters were turning into "unintended casualties in the competition by governments and tech firms towards AI supremacy".

It further stated that the label would distribute any potential royalties with the writers behind Smith's catalogue.

"If we are successful in proving that AI helped to compose the lyrics and tune in 'I Run' and are granted a share of the song, we would aim to assign each of Jorja's collaborators with a pro-rata share," it explained.

The Ongoing Rise of AI Music

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

• In the summer, the band Velvet Sundown gathered millions of plays before revealing they used AI to aid craft their sound.
• Recently, an AI-generated "artist" called Breaking Rust topped a US genre sales chart, demonstrating that listeners are not always opposed to hearing AI-made music.
• Suno was last year sued for alleged violations by the industry's major biggest record labels, but those legal actions have since been resolved.

Subsequently, Warner Music entered into a partnership with the firm, which will allow users to create songs using the vocal likenesses, names, and images of Warner artists who agree to the program.

However, it remains uncertain how many established artists will agree to such applications of their identity.

Just last week, a group of prominent musicians such as Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush released a vinyl album featuring silent songs or audio of quiet studios in opposition to potential revisions to copyright law.

They argue these amendments would make it simpler for AI companies to develop systems using protected work without obtaining a permission.