🔗 Share this article Soul Singer Jorja Smith's Record Label Takes a Stand Regarding Popular 'Artificial Intelligence Clone' Song Smith's vocals were reportedly replicated in the creation of the viral song, 'I Run'. The music company representing Brit Award-winning artist Jorja Smith has stated its desire to receive a share of earnings from a track it claims was produced using an artificial intelligence "clone" of the performer's distinctive vocal style. The song, titled 'I Run' by UK electronic duo Haven, gained widespread popularity on TikTok in October, partly due to its polished soul vocals by an uncredited woman singer. Although its momentum and potential top 40 entry in the UK and US, the song was later banned by leading music services after music organizations issued copyright requests, stating it breached intellectual property law by imitating another artist. Even though 'I Run' has since been reissued with different singing, Smith's label, FAMM, insists it is convinced the initial recording was made with AI trained on her extensive recordings and is now seeking appropriate compensation. A Larger Principle at Stake "The situation is not only about one artist. This is bigger than one artist or one song," the label stated in a public announcement. FAMM further stated its belief that "both iterations of the song violate the artist's legal rights and unjustly take advantage of the work of all the songwriters with whom she collaborates." Famous for hits like 'Be Honest' and 'Little Things', Smith was crowned British Female Solo Artist at the annual Brit Awards in 2019. Suggesting that her supporters were potentially misled by Haven's original release, the label concluded: "We must not permit this to become the new normal." Producers Admit Using AI Tools A producer admitted the application of AI in a public post. The duo responsible for the track have openly admitted utilizing AI in its creation. Producer Harrison Walker explained that the initial vocals were in fact his own but were extensively altered using AI music software Suno, often referred to as the "ChatGPT for music". Meanwhile, the other producer, Waypoint, whose real name is Jacob Donaghue, confirmed on his accounts that AI was used to "apply our starting vocal a female tone". Donaghue and Walker maintain that they composed and created the music themselves and have even shared files of their original computer files. "This shouldn't be mystery that I used AI-powered vocal editing to convert exclusively my voice for 'I Run'," Walker elaborated. "Being a songwriter and maker, I enjoy experimenting with new tools, techniques and staying on the forefront of industry trends," he added. "To set the record straight, the people behind HAVEN are real and people, and all we want to do is make enjoyable music for other humans." Legal Gray Areas and Industry Impact Jorja Smith has won two Brit Awards, among them the best female artist in 2019. Although their first version of 'I Run' was blocked from major charts, the new recording managed to break into the UK Top 40 last week. FAMM has positioned the entire episode as a significant test case for the music industry's changing relationship with AI. The label stated it had "an obligation to speak up" and "encourage wider discussion", because AI is advancing at an "alarming rate and substantially outpacing regulation". "Computer-created content should be clearly labelled as such so that the public may choose whether they listen to it or not," the statement added. Creators Become 'Collateral Victims' Smith shared her label's position on her personal Instagram page. The text cautioned that artists and creators were turning into "collateral damage in the race by policymakers and tech firms towards AI supremacy". It also noted that the label would distribute any potential songwriting credits with the collaborators behind Smith's catalogue. "Should we are able in proving that AI helped to compose the lyrics and melody in 'I Run' and are granted a share of the song, we would seek to allocate every one of Jorja's co-writers with a corresponding share," it detailed. The Ongoing Rise of AI Music The proliferation of algorithmically created music has been a source of both fascination and consternation for the entertainment world. In the summer, the band Velvet Sundown accumulated millions of streams before disclosing they used AI to aid develop their sound. Last month, an AI-generated "performer" called Breaking Rust topped a US genre digital song sales chart, demonstrating that listeners are not always opposed to consuming AI-made music. Suno was last year sued for alleged violations by the world's three biggest record labels, but those legal actions have since been resolved. Following this, Warner Music entered into a partnership with the company, which will enable users to generate songs using the voices, names, and images of Warner artists who agree to the service. Yet, it is unclear how many established artists will agree to such uses of their identity. Recently, a group of prominent artists including Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush released a vinyl album featuring silent songs or audio of empty studios in opposition to potential changes 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.