🔗 Share this article Pop Singer Jorja Smith's Record Label Takes a Firm Position Against Popular 'AI Clone' Track The artist's voice were allegedly replicated in the production of the hit song, 'I Run'. The music company representing award-winning artist Jorja Smith has declared its intention to receive a portion of royalties from a song it asserts was created using an AI "clone" of the performer's distinctive voice. The song, titled 'I Run' by UK electronic duo Haven, achieved massive traction on TikTok last October, partly due to its smooth R&B singing by an uncredited woman singer. Despite its success and potential chart position in the UK and US, the track was subsequently banned by major music services after music organizations issued copyright notices, alleging it violated intellectual property law by imitating another musician. Although 'I Run' has since been reissued with completely new vocals, Smith's label, FAMM, insists it believes the original version was made with AI trained on her body of work and is now seeking financial compensation. A Larger Principle at Stake "The situation isn't just about Jorja. It's bigger than one artist or a single track," the label stated in a recent statement. FAMM further stated its belief that "each versions of the song infringe on Jorja's rights and unjustly take advantage of the work of all the writers with whom she collaborates." Famous for hits like 'Be Honest' and 'Little Things', Smith was crowned Best British Female at the prestigious Brit Awards in 2019. Implying that her supporters were possibly misled by Haven's original release, the label added: "Our industry cannot allow this to become the standard practice." Creators Acknowledge Employing AI Technology One producer confirmed the application of AI in a public post. The team behind the track have publicly confirmed using AI during its production process. Producer Harrison Walker clarified that the original voice were actually his own but were heavily altered using music-generation software Suno, often called the "advanced tool for music". In addition, the second member, Waypoint, whose real name is Jacob Donaghue, stated on his accounts that AI was used to "apply our original vocal a feminine quality". Donaghue and Walker maintain that they wrote and created the song themselves and have even shared files of their source computer files. "It is no secret that I used AI-powered vocal editing to transform exclusively my voice for 'I Run'," Walker said. "Being a songwriter and maker, I like experimenting with innovative technologies, techniques and remaining on the forefront of industry trends," he added. "In order to set the facts clear, the artists behind HAVEN are actual and human, and all we want to do is make enjoyable music for fellow humans." Legal Uncertainty and Broader Implications Jorja Smith has received two Brit Awards, including the top female honor in 2019. While their first version of 'I Run' was suspended from major rankings, the new recording did break into the UK Top 40 last week. FAMM has framed the entire episode as a critical precedent for the music industry's changing interaction with AI. The label stated it had "an obligation to speak up" and "encourage public discourse", because AI is proliferating at an "rapid rate and significantly exceeding legal oversight". "AI-generated material should be clearly labelled as such so that the public may decide whether they consume it or not," the message continued. Artists as 'Unintended Victims' Smith endorsed her label's position on her own social media page. The post cautioned that artists and creators were turning into "collateral damage in the competition by policymakers and tech firms towards AI supremacy". It also noted that the label would share any potential royalties with the writers behind Smith's music. "If we are successful in establishing that AI assisted to compose the words and tune in 'I Run' and are awarded a share of the song, we would aim to allocate each of Jorja's co-writers with a corresponding share," it detailed. The Continuing Growth of AI Music The proliferation of AI-generated music has been a topic of both fascination and consternation for the music industry. In June, the group Velvet Sundown accumulated vast numbers of plays before disclosing they used AI to aid craft their sound. Last month, an AI-generated "performer" known as Breaking Rust led a US country sales chart, demonstrating that listeners are not necessarily averse to hearing computer-generated music. Suno was last year taken to court for copyright infringement by the industry's three largest record labels, though those cases have since been settled. Subsequently, Warner Music established a partnership with the firm, which will enable users to create songs using the voices, names, and likenesses of Warner acts who agree to the program. Yet, it remains unclear how many well-known artists will agree to such uses of their identity. Recently, 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 opposition to potential changes to copyright law. They contend these changes would make it easier for AI companies to train systems using copyrighted work without securing a permission.