Soul Vocalist the Artist's Music Company Takes Stand Against Popular 'Artificial Intelligence Copy' Song

The record label representing Brit Award-winning singer Jorja Smith has declared its intention to receive a share of royalties from a song it asserts was created using an AI "replica" of the performer's unique vocal style.

The track, titled 'I Run' by British dance act Haven, achieved massive traction on social media last October, in part due to its polished soul vocals by an unnamed female singer.

Despite its success and potential chart position in both UK and US, the track was later banned by major streaming platforms after music bodies issued takedown notices, alleging it violated copyright by imitating another artist.

Although 'I Run' has since been re-released with completely new vocals, Smith's label, FAMM, insists it believes the initial version was generated with AI programmed on her body of work and is now pursuing financial compensation.

A Broader Issue in Play

"The situation isn't just about Jorja. It's larger than one artist or a single track," the label wrote in a recent announcement.

FAMM further stated its view that "both versions of the track infringe on the artist's rights and unfairly take advantage of the work of all the songwriters with whom she collaborates."

Known for hits like 'Be Honest' and 'Little Things', Smith was crowned British Female Solo Artist at the annual Brit Awards in 2019.

Implying that her supporters were potentially deceived by Haven's original release, the label concluded: "We must not permit this to become the new normal."

Producers Admit Using AI Technology

The team responsible for the song have openly admitted utilizing AI in its production process.

Producer Harrison Walker clarified that the initial vocals were in fact his own but were heavily manipulated using AI music platform Suno, often referred to as the "ChatGPT for music".

In addition, the second member, Waypoint, identified as Jacob Donaghue, confirmed on his accounts that AI was used to "apply our starting vocal a feminine quality".

Donaghue and Walker maintain that they wrote and produced the song themselves and have even provided evidence of their source production sessions.

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

"As a songwriter and producer, I enjoy experimenting with new tools, techniques and staying on the forefront of industry trends," he continued.

"To set the record straight, the people behind HAVEN are actual and human, and all we want to do is make great music for fellow humans."

Regulatory Gray Areas and Broader Impact

While their first release of 'I Run' was suspended from major rankings, the new recording managed to break into the UK Top 40 recently.

FAMM has positioned the entire episode as a critical precedent for the entertainment sector's changing interaction with AI.

The label stated it had "an obligation to voice concerns" and "encourage wider discussion", because AI is proliferating at an "alarming rate and substantially outpacing regulation".

"Computer-created content should be clearly identified as such so that the public may choose whether they consume it or not," the message continued.

Creators Become 'Unintended Damage'

Smith endorsed her label's position on her personal social media page.

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

It further noted that the label would share any awarded royalties with the writers behind Smith's catalogue.

"If we are successful in proving that AI assisted to compose the lyrics and melody in 'I Run' and are awarded a portion of the song, we would seek to allocate each of Jorja's collaborators with a corresponding share," it explained.

The Ongoing Growth of Computer-Generated Music

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

• In June, the group Velvet Sundown gathered millions of plays before disclosing they used AI to aid craft their sound.
• Last month, an AI-generated "performer" called Breaking Rust topped a US country sales chart, demonstrating that audiences are not always averse to hearing computer-generated music.
• Suno was previously taken to court for copyright infringement by the industry's three largest record labels, but those legal actions have since been resolved.

Following this, Warner Music entered into a collaboration with the company, which will enable users to create songs using the vocal likenesses, names, and likenesses of Warner artists who opt in to the service.

However, it remains unclear how a large number of well-known artists will agree to such uses of their identity.

Just last week, a collective of prominent musicians including Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush issued a vinyl album featuring silent songs or recordings of quiet studios in protest to proposed revisions to intellectual property regulations.

They contend these changes would make it simpler for AI companies to train systems using protected work without securing a license.