Soul Singer Jorja Smith's Music Label Takes Stand Against Viral 'AI Clone' Track

The music company representing Brit Award-winning artist Jorja Smith has stated its desire to receive a share of royalties from a track it asserts was produced using an artificial intelligence "replica" of the performer's unique vocal style.

The song, titled 'I Run' by British dance act Haven, gained widespread traction on TikTok in October, in part due to its polished R&B vocals by an uncredited female vocalist.

Although its momentum and potential chart entry in the UK and US, the song was later removed by major music services after industry organizations issued copyright requests, alleging it breached copyright by impersonating another musician.

Even though 'I Run' has since been reissued with different singing, Smith's label, FAMM, insists it believes the original recording was generated with AI programmed on her body of recordings and is now pursuing financial redress.

A Broader Issue in Play

"The situation is not only about Jorja. It's larger than a single performer or one song," the label stated in a recent announcement.

FAMM also stated its view that "each iterations of the song infringe on Jorja's rights and unfairly benefit from 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 misled by Haven's first track, the label concluded: "We cannot allow this to be the standard practice."

Creators Admit Using AI Tools

The duo behind the track have openly admitted utilizing AI during its production process.

Producer Harrison Walker clarified that the initial voice were actually his own but were heavily manipulated using AI music software Suno, often referred to as the "ChatGPT 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 original vocal a female quality".

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

"It is no secret that I used AI-assisted vocal editing to convert solely my voice for 'I Run'," Walker said.

"As a songwriter and producer, I like experimenting with innovative technologies, techniques and staying on the forefront of industry trends," he continued.

"To set the record straight, the people behind HAVEN are real and people, and all we aim to do is make enjoyable music for fellow humans."

Legal Uncertainty and Broader Impact

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

FAMM has framed the entire episode 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 "stimulate public discourse", because AI is advancing at an "alarming rate and substantially exceeding legal oversight".

"AI-generated content should be transparently labelled as such so that the public may decide whether they consume it or not," the statement added.

Artists as 'Unintended Damage'

Smith endorsed her label's statement on her personal Instagram profile.

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

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

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

The Ongoing Growth of Computer-Generated Music

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

• In June, the band Velvet Sundown accumulated millions of streams before disclosing they used AI to help craft their sound.
• Last month, an AI-generated "performer" called Breaking Rust topped a US genre digital song sales chart, demonstrating that audiences are not always averse to consuming computer-generated music.
• Suno was last year sued for copyright infringement by the world's three biggest record labels, though those cases have since been resolved.

Following this, Warner Music established a collaboration with the company, which will allow users to create songs using the voices, names, and images of Warner acts who agree to the program.

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

Just last week, a collective of renowned artists such as Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush issued a vinyl album featuring silent songs or audio of empty studios in protest to potential revisions to copyright law.

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