🔗 Share this article Soul Singer Jorja Smith's Record Company Takes Stand Against Viral 'AI Clone' Track The artist's voice were allegedly replicated in the production of the hit song, 'I Run'. The music company representing Brit Award-winning singer Jorja Smith has declared its desire to claim a share of royalties from a track it asserts was created using an AI "clone" of the singer's unique vocal style. The song, titled 'I Run' by British dance act Haven, gained widespread traction on TikTok in October, partly due to its smooth R&B singing by an uncredited woman vocalist. Despite its momentum and potential chart entry in the UK and US, the track was subsequently banned by leading streaming platforms after industry bodies sent copyright requests, alleging it violated copyright by impersonating another musician. Even though 'I Run' has since been reissued with different singing, Smith's label, FAMM, maintains it is convinced the original recording was generated with AI trained on her body of work and is now seeking appropriate compensation. A Larger Issue in Play "This is not only about Jorja. This is bigger than a single performer or a single track," the label stated in a public statement. FAMM further stated its view that "each iterations of the track infringe on Jorja's rights and unfairly take advantage of the work of all the songwriters with whom she works." Famous for hits like 'Be Honest' and 'Little Things', Smith was crowned British Female Solo Artist at the prestigious Brit Awards in 2019. Implying that her fans were possibly deceived by Haven's first track, the label concluded: "Our industry cannot permit this to be the new normal." Producers Admit Employing AI Tools One producer confirmed the application of AI in a public update. The team responsible for the track have publicly admitted using AI in its production process. Songwriter Harrison Walker explained that the original voice were actually his own but were heavily altered using AI music platform Suno, often referred to as the "advanced tool for music". In addition, the other member, Waypoint, identified as Jacob Donaghue, confirmed on his accounts that AI was used to "apply our original vocal a feminine tone". Donaghue and Walker maintain that they wrote and produced the music themselves and have even shared files of their original production sessions. "It is no secret that I used AI-assisted vocal processing to transform exclusively my voice for 'I Run'," Walker elaborated. "As a creator and producer, I like using new tools, techniques and remaining on the cutting edge of what's happening," he continued. "To set the facts clear, the people behind HAVEN are actual and human, and all we aim to do is make enjoyable music for other humans." Legal Gray Areas and Broader Implications The singer has won two Brit Awards, including the best female artist in 2019. Although their first version of 'I Run' was suspended from official charts, the replacement version managed to break into the UK Top 40 last week. FAMM has positioned the entire episode as a critical test case for the entertainment sector's evolving relationship with artificial intelligence. The label stated it had "an obligation to voice concerns" and "encourage public discourse", because AI is advancing at an "alarming rate and substantially exceeding regulation". "AI-generated content should be transparently identified as such so that the audience may decide whether they listen to it or not," the statement added. Artists as 'Unintended Victims' Smith endorsed her label's statement on her own social media profile. The post warned that musicians and songwriters were becoming "collateral damage in the competition by policymakers and corporations towards AI dominance". It also stated that the label would share any awarded songwriting credits with the writers behind Smith's music. "If we are successful in establishing that AI helped to write the words and melody in 'I Run' and are awarded a portion of the song, we would aim to allocate every one of Jorja's collaborators with a corresponding share," it detailed. The Ongoing Growth of AI Music The proliferation of AI-generated music has been a source of both interest and anxiety for the entertainment world. In the summer, the band Velvet Sundown accumulated vast numbers of streams before disclosing they used AI to help develop their musical style. Recently, an AI-generated "performer" called Breaking Rust led a US genre sales chart, demonstrating that audiences are not necessarily opposed to hearing AI-made music. Suno was last year taken to court for copyright infringement by the world's major biggest record labels, but those legal actions have since been resolved. Following this, Warner Music established 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. However, it remains unclear how many established artists will agree to such uses of their identity. Recently, a group of prominent artists such as Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush issued a vinyl album featuring silent songs or audio of quiet studios in protest to potential revisions to intellectual property regulations. They contend these changes would make it easier for AI companies to develop models using copyrighted work without securing a license.