🔗 Share this article

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

The song, titled 'I Run' by UK dance act Haven, gained massive traction on social media in October, partly due to its polished soul singing by an unnamed female vocalist.

Although its success and impending chart entry in the UK and US, the track was later banned by major music services after music organizations sent copyright notices, alleging it violated intellectual property law by imitating another artist.

Even though 'I Run' has now been reissued with different vocals, Smith's label, FAMM, maintains it believes the original recording was made with AI programmed on her extensive recordings and is now pursuing appropriate compensation.

A Larger Principle in Play

"This is not only about Jorja. This is bigger than a single performer or a single track," the label stated in a public statement.

FAMM also stated its belief that "each versions of the track violate Jorja's rights and unfairly take advantage of the work of all the writers with whom she works."

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

Suggesting that her supporters were potentially deceived by Haven's original release, the label added: "Our industry must not permit this to be the new normal."

Creators Acknowledge Using AI Technology

The duo responsible for the track have openly confirmed using AI during its production process.

Songwriter Harrison Walker explained that the original vocals were in fact his own but were extensively altered using AI music software Suno, often called the "advanced tool for music".

Meanwhile, the other member, Waypoint, identified as Jacob Donaghue, stated 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 source computer files.

"It shouldn't be secret that I used AI-assisted vocal processing to convert exclusively my voice for 'I Run'," Walker said.

"Being a creator and maker, I enjoy experimenting with innovative technologies, techniques and staying on the forefront of industry trends," he continued.

"In order to set the facts clear, the people behind HAVEN are actual and people, and all we aim to do is make great music for fellow humans."

Regulatory Uncertainty and Broader Impact

Although their original version of 'I Run' was suspended from major charts, the replacement version did break into the UK Top 40 recently.

FAMM has framed the incident as a critical test case for the entertainment sector's changing interaction with artificial intelligence.

The label argued it had "a duty to speak up" and "encourage wider discussion", because AI is proliferating at an "alarming rate and substantially outpacing regulation".

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

Creators Become 'Unintended Damage'

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

The post cautioned that artists and creators were becoming "unintended casualties in the competition by governments and tech firms towards AI supremacy".

It further noted that the label would share any potential songwriting credits with the writers behind Smith's music.

"Should we are able in proving that AI assisted to compose the words and tune in 'I Run' and are awarded a share of the song, we would aim to assign every one of Jorja's co-writers with a pro-rata share," it detailed.

The Continuing Growth of Computer-Generated Music

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

• In the summer, the group Velvet Sundown accumulated vast numbers of plays before disclosing they used AI to help craft their sound.
• Recently, an AI-generated "artist" known as Breaking Rust led a US genre digital song sales chart, demonstrating that audiences are not always opposed to hearing AI-made music.
• Suno was previously sued for alleged violations by the industry's major biggest record labels, though those legal actions have since been resolved.

Subsequently, Warner Music established a collaboration with the company, which will allow users to generate songs using the voices, names, and likenesses of Warner acts who agree to the service.

Yet, it remains unclear how many well-known artists will agree to such applications of their work.

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

They contend these changes would make it easier for AI companies to develop systems using protected work without obtaining a license.