🔗 Share this article Pop Vocalist Jorja Smith's Record Company Takes a Firm Position Regarding Viral 'Artificial Intelligence Clone' Track Smith's voice were reportedly copied in the production of the hit song, 'I Run'. The music company representing Brit Award-winning singer Jorja Smith has declared its desire to receive a portion of earnings from a track it asserts was created using an artificial intelligence "replica" of the singer's distinctive voice. The track, titled 'I Run' by UK electronic duo Haven, gained widespread traction on TikTok last October, partly due to its polished R&B vocals by an uncredited female vocalist. Although its success and potential top 40 entry in both UK and US, the track was later removed by major music services after music bodies sent copyright requests, alleging it violated intellectual property law by imitating another musician. Even though 'I Run' has since been re-released with completely new vocals, Smith's label, FAMM, insists it believes the initial recording was generated with AI programmed on her extensive work and is now pursuing financial redress. A Broader Principle at Stake "This is not only about Jorja. This is larger than a single performer or a single track," the label stated in a recent announcement. FAMM also stated its belief that "both versions of the track violate Jorja's legal rights and unfairly benefit from the creative output of all the songwriters with whom she collaborates." Known for hits like 'Be Honest' and 'Little Things', Smith was crowned Best British Female at the annual Brit Awards in 2019. Implying that her fans were potentially deceived by Haven's first track, the label concluded: "We cannot permit this to become the standard practice." Creators Admit Using AI Tools One producer confirmed the application of AI in a public post. The duo responsible for the song have openly admitted using AI during its creation. Songwriter Harrison Walker clarified that the original voice were actually his own but were heavily manipulated using AI music software Suno, often called the "advanced tool for music". In addition, the other member, Waypoint, whose real name is Jacob Donaghue, confirmed on social media that AI was used to "give our starting vocal a female quality". Donaghue and Walker maintain that they wrote and produced the music themselves and have even provided files of their original production sessions. "It is no secret that I used AI-assisted vocal processing to convert exclusively my voice for 'I Run'," Walker said. "As a creator and producer, I like using innovative technologies, techniques and remaining on the forefront of what's happening," he continued. "In order to set the record clear, the artists behind HAVEN are actual and people, and all we want to do is make great music for other humans." Regulatory Uncertainty and Industry Impact The singer has received multiple Brit Awards, including the top female honor in 2019. While their original version of 'I Run' was suspended from official charts, the replacement version managed to break into the UK Top 40 recently. FAMM has positioned the incident as a critical precedent for the entertainment sector's evolving relationship with AI. The label stated it had "an obligation to voice concerns" and "encourage public discourse", because AI is proliferating at an "alarming rate and substantially exceeding legal oversight". "AI-generated content should be transparently identified as such so that the public may choose whether they consume it or not," the statement added. Creators Become 'Unintended Damage' Smith endorsed her label's statement on her own social media page. The text warned that artists and songwriters were becoming "collateral damage in the race by governments and corporations towards AI supremacy". It further noted that the label would distribute any potential royalties with the writers behind Smith's catalogue. "If we are successful in proving that AI helped to write the words and melody in 'I Run' and are granted a share of the song, we would aim to allocate each of Jorja's co-writers with a pro-rata share," it detailed. The Ongoing Growth of Computer-Generated Music The emergence of AI-generated music has been a topic of both fascination and anxiety for the music industry. In June, the band Velvet Sundown accumulated millions of streams before revealing they used AI to aid develop their musical style. Recently, an AI-generated "performer" known as Breaking Rust led a US country digital song sales chart, showing that listeners are not always opposed to consuming AI-made music. Suno was last year sued for copyright infringement by the world's three biggest record labels, but those legal actions have now been resolved. Subsequently, Warner Music established a collaboration with the firm, which will enable users to create songs using the voices, names, and likenesses of Warner acts who opt in to the program. Yet, it remains uncertain how many established artists will consent to such uses of their work. Recently, a group of renowned musicians such as Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush released a vinyl album containing tracks of silence or recordings of quiet studios in opposition to proposed changes to copyright law. They argue these amendments would make it easier for AI companies to develop models using protected work without obtaining a license.