🔗 Share this article Pop Singer the Artist's Music Label Takes Stand Regarding Viral 'Artificial Intelligence Clone' Track The artist's vocals were allegedly replicated in the production of the viral song, 'I Run'. The music company representing award-winning artist Jorja Smith has declared its intention to receive a portion of earnings from a song it claims was created using an AI "replica" of the singer's unique vocal style. The song, titled 'I Run' by British dance act Haven, gained widespread popularity on social media last October, in part due to its polished R&B singing by an uncredited female singer. Despite its momentum and impending chart position in both UK and US, the track was subsequently banned by major music services after music organizations issued copyright notices, alleging it breached copyright by imitating another musician. Although 'I Run' has since been re-released with completely new singing, Smith's label, FAMM, maintains it is convinced the initial version was generated with AI trained on her body of recordings and is now pursuing financial redress. A Larger Issue at Stake "This is not only about Jorja. It's bigger than one artist or a single track," the label wrote in a public announcement. FAMM further stated its belief that "each versions of the track infringe on Jorja's legal rights and unjustly take advantage of the work of all the songwriters with whom she works." Known for songs like 'Be Honest' and 'Little Things', Smith was crowned Best British Female at the prestigious Brit Awards in 2019. Implying that her fans were potentially deceived by Haven's first track, the label concluded: "We must not allow this to be the standard practice." Creators Admit Using AI Technology One producer admitted the use of AI in a social media update. The team behind the song have openly confirmed utilizing AI during its creation. Songwriter Harrison Walker clarified that the original voice were in fact his own but were heavily altered using AI music software Suno, often referred to as the "advanced tool for music". Meanwhile, the other member, Waypoint, identified as Jacob Donaghue, stated on social media that AI was used to "give our starting vocal a feminine quality". Donaghue and Walker maintain that they wrote and produced the music themselves and have even shared evidence of their original production sessions. "This shouldn't be secret that I used AI-assisted vocal processing to convert exclusively my voice for 'I Run'," Walker said. "As a creator and producer, I enjoy experimenting with new tools, methods and remaining on the cutting edge 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 two Brit Awards, including the top female honor in 2019. Although their first version of 'I Run' was suspended from official rankings, the new version did enter the UK Top 40 recently. FAMM has positioned the incident as a critical test case for the entertainment sector's evolving relationship with AI. The label argued it had "a duty to voice concerns" and "stimulate wider discussion", because AI is advancing at an "rapid rate and substantially outpacing legal oversight". "AI-generated material should be clearly identified as such so that the audience may decide whether they consume it or not," the message continued. Creators Become 'Unintended Victims' Smith endorsed her label's statement on her personal social media profile. The post cautioned that artists and songwriters were turning into "collateral damage in the race by policymakers and corporations towards AI supremacy". It also stated that the label would distribute any potential royalties with the writers behind Smith's catalogue. "Should we are able in establishing that AI assisted to write the words and melody in 'I Run' and are granted a portion of the song, we would aim to assign every one of Jorja's co-writers with a pro-rata share," it explained. The Ongoing Rise of AI Music The emergence of algorithmically created music has been a topic of both fascination and consternation for the entertainment world. In June, the band Velvet Sundown accumulated vast numbers of plays before revealing they used AI to aid craft their sound. Recently, an AI-generated "performer" called Breaking Rust topped a US country sales chart, showing that audiences are not necessarily averse to hearing computer-generated music. Suno was last year taken to court for alleged violations by the world's major biggest record labels, but those legal actions have since been resolved. Subsequently, Warner Music entered into a partnership with the company, which will allow users to create songs using the vocal likenesses, names, and images of Warner acts who opt in to the program. However, it is uncertain how a large number of well-known musicians will consent to such uses of their work. Recently, a group of prominent musicians such as Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush issued a vinyl album containing tracks of silence or recordings of quiet studios in protest to potential revisions to copyright law. They argue these amendments would make it simpler for AI companies to develop systems using protected work without securing a permission.