🔗 Share this article Pop Singer Jorja Smith's Record Company Takes a Stand Regarding Viral 'AI Clone' Track Smith's vocals were allegedly replicated in the production of the viral song, 'I Run'. The record label representing award-winning artist Jorja Smith has declared its intention to receive a share of earnings from a song it claims was created using an AI "replica" of the performer's unique voice. The song, titled 'I Run' by British electronic duo Haven, achieved widespread traction on TikTok in October, in part due to its polished R&B singing by an uncredited female singer. Although its success and potential top 40 position in both UK and US, the track was subsequently banned by leading streaming platforms after music organizations sent takedown requests, stating it breached intellectual property law by impersonating another artist. Although 'I Run' has now been reissued with completely new vocals, Smith's label, FAMM, insists it believes the original recording was generated with AI trained on her body of work and is now pursuing appropriate redress. A Larger Issue at Stake "This isn't just about one artist. This is bigger than one artist or one song," the label wrote in a public statement. FAMM further stated its belief that "both versions of the track infringe on Jorja's legal rights and unfairly benefit from the creative output of all the songwriters 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 original track, the label concluded: "We must not allow this to be the new normal." Producers Acknowledge Using AI Tools A creator confirmed the application of AI in a public post. The team behind the song have openly admitted using AI in its production process. Songwriter Harrison Walker explained that the initial vocals were in fact his own but were heavily manipulated using music-generation software Suno, sometimes called the "advanced tool for music". In addition, the second member, Waypoint, identified as Jacob Donaghue, stated on his accounts that AI was used to "give our original vocal a female quality". Donaghue and Walker assert that they composed and created the music themselves and have even shared files of their source computer files. "This is no secret that I used AI-assisted vocal editing to transform exclusively my voice for 'I Run'," Walker elaborated. "Being a creator and maker, I like using innovative technologies, methods and staying on the forefront of industry trends," he added. "In order to set the facts straight, the artists behind HAVEN are real and people, and all we want to do is make enjoyable music for fellow humans." Regulatory Uncertainty and Industry Impact The singer has won multiple Brit Awards, including the best female artist in 2019. Although their first 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 test case for the entertainment sector's changing interaction with artificial intelligence. The label stated it had "an obligation to speak up" and "encourage wider discussion", because AI is advancing at an "rapid rate and significantly exceeding legal oversight". "AI-generated material should be transparently identified as such so that the public may decide whether they consume it or not," the message continued. Creators Become 'Collateral Victims' Smith endorsed her label's statement on her own Instagram profile. The post warned that musicians and songwriters were turning into "unintended casualties in the race by policymakers and tech firms towards AI dominance". It also noted that the label would share any awarded songwriting credits with the writers behind Smith's catalogue. "Should we are successful in establishing that AI assisted to compose the lyrics and tune in 'I Run' and are granted a share of the song, we would seek to allocate every one of Jorja's collaborators with a corresponding share," it explained. The Continuing Rise 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 millions of plays before revealing they used AI to help develop their sound. Recently, an AI-generated "artist" called Breaking Rust topped a US country sales chart, demonstrating that listeners are not always opposed to hearing AI-made music. Suno was previously sued for copyright infringement by the world's three largest record labels, but those legal actions have now been resolved. Subsequently, Warner Music entered into a collaboration with the company, which will enable users to generate songs using the vocal likenesses, names, and likenesses of Warner acts who agree to the program. Yet, it is unclear how a large number of established artists will consent to such uses of their work. Just last week, a collective of prominent artists including Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush released a vinyl album featuring tracks of silence or audio of empty studios in protest to potential revisions to intellectual property regulations. They contend these amendments would make it simpler for AI companies to train models using copyrighted work without obtaining a license.