🔗 Share this article Pop Singer the Artist's Record Label Takes Firm Position Regarding Popular 'AI Clone' Track The artist's vocals were allegedly copied in the creation of the viral song, 'I Run'. The music company representing award-winning singer Jorja Smith has stated its desire to claim a share of royalties from a song it claims was produced using an AI "replica" of the singer's distinctive vocal style. The track, titled 'I Run' by UK dance act Haven, gained widespread traction on social media last October, in part due to its smooth R&B vocals by an unnamed female vocalist. Although its success and potential top 40 position in the UK and US, the track was subsequently removed by leading streaming platforms after music bodies issued copyright notices, stating it violated 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 made with AI programmed on her body of recordings and is now seeking financial redress. A Broader Issue at Stake "The situation isn't just about one artist. This is larger than one artist or one song," the label wrote in a public statement. FAMM further stated its view that "both iterations of the song violate the artist's legal rights and unjustly benefit from the work of all the writers with whom she collaborates." Famous for hits like 'Be Honest' and 'Little Things', Smith was named British Female Solo Artist at the prestigious Brit Awards in 2019. Suggesting that her supporters were possibly misled by Haven's first release, the label added: "We must not allow this to be the standard practice." Producers Acknowledge Employing AI Technology One creator confirmed the use of AI in a public post. The duo responsible for the song have publicly admitted using AI in its creation. Producer Harrison Walker clarified that the initial voice were in fact his own but were heavily altered using AI music platform Suno, often referred to as the "ChatGPT for music". Meanwhile, 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 composed and created the music themselves and have even shared files of their original production sessions. "It is no secret that I used AI-powered vocal editing to convert solely my voice for 'I Run'," Walker said. "As a creator and producer, I like experimenting with innovative technologies, techniques and remaining on the forefront of what's happening," he continued. "In order to set the facts straight, the artists behind HAVEN are actual and human, and all we want to do is make enjoyable music for other humans." Regulatory Gray Areas and Broader Impact The singer has received multiple Brit Awards, including the best female artist in 2019. Although their original version of 'I Run' was suspended from major rankings, the new recording managed to enter the UK Top 40 recently. FAMM has framed the entire episode as a critical precedent for the music industry's evolving interaction with AI. The label argued it had "an obligation to voice concerns" and "encourage public discourse", because AI is advancing at an "alarming rate and substantially outpacing legal oversight". "Computer-created material should be clearly labelled as such so that the public may choose whether they listen to it or not," the message added. Artists as 'Unintended Damage' Smith shared her label's position on her personal Instagram profile. The post cautioned that musicians and creators were becoming "collateral damage in the race by governments and corporations towards AI supremacy". It also noted that the label would distribute any potential songwriting credits with the writers behind Smith's music. "If we are able in establishing that AI helped to write the words and tune in 'I Run' and are awarded a share of the song, we would seek to assign every one of Jorja's collaborators with a pro-rata share," it detailed. The Continuing Rise of Computer-Generated Music The proliferation of algorithmically created music has been a topic of both interest and consternation for the entertainment world. In the summer, the group Velvet Sundown gathered millions of streams before disclosing they used AI to help develop their sound. Recently, an AI-generated "artist" known as Breaking Rust led a US country digital song sales chart, showing that listeners are not always opposed to hearing AI-made music. Suno was last year sued for copyright infringement by the world's three biggest record labels, though those legal actions have now been resolved. Subsequently, Warner Music entered into a collaboration with the company, which will allow users to generate songs using the vocal likenesses, names, and images of Warner acts who agree to the program. Yet, it is unclear how many well-known artists will agree to such uses of their identity. Recently, a collective of renowned musicians such as Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush released a vinyl album containing silent songs or audio of empty studios in opposition to proposed changes to copyright law. They argue these amendments would make it simpler for AI companies to develop models using protected work without securing a license.