🔗 Share this article Pop Vocalist Jorja Smith's Music Company Takes a Firm Position Regarding Viral 'Artificial Intelligence Copy' Track The artist's vocals were allegedly replicated in the production of the hit song, 'I Run'. The record label representing Brit Award-winning artist Jorja Smith has stated its desire to claim a share of royalties from a track it asserts was created using an artificial intelligence "clone" of the singer's distinctive voice. The song, titled 'I Run' by UK dance act Haven, achieved massive traction on social media last October, partly due to its polished soul vocals by an uncredited woman vocalist. Despite its momentum and impending top 40 position in the UK and US, the song was later removed by major streaming platforms after music organizations sent copyright notices, stating it violated intellectual property law by imitating another artist. Although 'I Run' has since been reissued with different singing, Smith's label, FAMM, insists it is convinced the original recording was generated with AI trained on her body of recordings and is now pursuing appropriate redress. A Larger Principle at Stake "The situation is not only about Jorja. It's larger than a single performer or a single track," the label wrote in a recent announcement. FAMM also stated its view that "both versions of the song violate the artist's rights and unfairly benefit from the creative output of all the writers with whom she collaborates." Famous for hits like 'Be Honest' and 'Little Things', Smith was named Best British Female at the prestigious Brit Awards in 2019. Implying that her supporters were potentially misled by Haven's first release, the label added: "Our industry cannot allow this to become the new normal." Producers Acknowledge Employing AI Technology A creator confirmed the application of AI in a social media post. The team behind the track have openly admitted utilizing AI in its creation. Songwriter Harrison Walker clarified that the original voice were actually his own but were extensively manipulated using music-generation software Suno, sometimes called the "ChatGPT for music". Meanwhile, the second producer, Waypoint, identified as Jacob Donaghue, confirmed on social media that AI was used to "apply our original vocal a feminine tone". Donaghue and Walker assert that they wrote and produced the song themselves and have even provided files of their source production sessions. "It shouldn't be mystery that I used AI-powered vocal processing to transform exclusively my voice for 'I Run'," Walker elaborated. "Being a songwriter and producer, I like using new tools, methods and staying on the cutting edge of industry trends," he added. "To set the facts straight, the people behind HAVEN are real and human, and all we aim to do is make great music for fellow humans." Regulatory Gray Areas and Broader Implications The singer has won two Brit Awards, among them the top female honor in 2019. While their original release of 'I Run' was blocked from major rankings, the new recording managed to enter the UK Top 40 recently. FAMM has positioned the entire episode as a significant precedent for the entertainment sector's evolving relationship with AI. The label stated it had "an obligation to speak up" and "stimulate wider discussion", because AI is advancing at an "rapid rate and substantially exceeding regulation". "Computer-created content should be transparently identified as such so that the audience may decide whether they consume it or not," the statement continued. Creators Become 'Collateral Victims' Smith endorsed her label's position on her personal Instagram profile. The text cautioned that musicians and songwriters were turning into "collateral damage in the competition by policymakers and corporations towards AI supremacy". It also stated that the label would share any potential songwriting credits with the writers behind Smith's catalogue. "If we are successful in proving that AI helped to write the lyrics and tune in 'I Run' and are granted a share of the song, we would seek to assign every one of Jorja's co-writers with a pro-rata share," it explained. The Ongoing Growth of Computer-Generated Music The emergence of algorithmically created music has been a topic of both fascination and consternation for the entertainment world. In the summer, the band Velvet Sundown accumulated vast numbers of plays before disclosing they used AI to aid develop their musical style. Last month, an AI-generated "performer" known as Breaking Rust topped a US country digital song sales chart, demonstrating that listeners are not always opposed to hearing AI-made music. Suno was previously sued for alleged violations by the industry's major biggest record labels, but those legal actions have now been settled. Subsequently, Warner Music entered into a partnership with the company, which will enable users to create songs using the voices, names, and likenesses of Warner acts who agree to the service. Yet, it remains unclear how a large number of established musicians will agree to such uses of their identity. Recently, a collective of renowned artists including Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush released a vinyl album containing silent songs or audio of empty studios in protest to potential revisions to copyright law. They contend these amendments would make it easier for AI companies to train models using copyrighted work without obtaining a permission.