Pop Singer the Artist's Music Company Takes a Stand Regarding Popular 'AI Clone' Song

The music company representing Brit Award-winning singer Jorja Smith has declared its intention to claim a share of royalties from a song it asserts was produced using an artificial intelligence "clone" of the performer's distinctive voice.

The song, titled 'I Run' by British dance act Haven, gained massive popularity on TikTok in October, in part due to its smooth R&B singing by an uncredited female vocalist.

Despite its momentum and potential chart position in both UK and US, the song was later banned by major music services after music bodies issued copyright requests, alleging it breached intellectual property law by impersonating another musician.

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

A Broader Issue at Stake

"This is not only about one artist. This is larger than a single performer or a single track," the label stated in a public announcement.

FAMM further stated its view that "both versions of the track infringe on the artist's legal rights and unjustly take advantage of the work of all the writers 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.

Implying that her supporters were potentially deceived by Haven's original release, the label concluded: "Our industry must not allow this to be the standard practice."

Creators Admit Using AI Tools

The team behind the song have publicly confirmed utilizing AI during its creation.

Producer Harrison Walker explained that the initial voice were actually his own but were heavily altered using music-generation platform Suno, sometimes referred to as the "ChatGPT for music".

In addition, the other producer, Waypoint, identified as Jacob Donaghue, confirmed on social media that AI was used to "give our starting vocal a female tone".

Donaghue and Walker maintain that they composed and created the song themselves and have even shared files of their original computer files.

"This is no mystery that I used AI-powered vocal processing to transform solely my voice for 'I Run'," Walker elaborated.

"Being a songwriter and maker, I like using new tools, methods and staying on the forefront of industry trends," he added.

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

Legal Gray Areas and Broader Impact

While their first version of 'I Run' was suspended from official rankings, the new recording did enter the UK Top 40 recently.

FAMM has framed the entire episode as a significant test case for the entertainment sector's evolving relationship with AI.

The label argued it had "an obligation to voice concerns" and "encourage public discourse", because AI is advancing at an "rapid rate and significantly outpacing regulation".

"AI-generated material should be clearly identified as such so that the public may decide whether they consume it or not," the message continued.

Creators Become 'Collateral Damage'

Smith shared her label's position on her personal Instagram profile.

The text warned that artists and songwriters were turning into "unintended casualties in the competition by governments and corporations towards AI supremacy".

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

"If we are able in proving that AI assisted to write the lyrics and melody in 'I Run' and are awarded a portion of the song, we would aim to assign every one of Jorja's collaborators with a pro-rata share," it detailed.

The Continuing Rise of AI Music

The emergence of AI-generated music has been a source of both interest and consternation for the entertainment world.

• In the summer, the group Velvet Sundown gathered millions of streams before disclosing they used AI to aid develop their sound.
• Last month, an AI-generated "artist" known as Breaking Rust led a US country digital song sales chart, demonstrating that listeners are not always averse to consuming AI-made music.
• Suno was last year taken to court for copyright infringement by the world's three biggest record labels, though those cases have since been settled.

Subsequently, Warner Music entered into a partnership with the firm, which will allow users to create songs using the voices, names, and likenesses of Warner artists who opt in to the service.

Yet, it is uncertain how a large number of established musicians will consent to such applications of their identity.

Just last week, a collective of renowned musicians such as Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush issued a vinyl album containing silent songs or audio of quiet studios in opposition to potential revisions to intellectual property regulations.

They contend these changes would make it easier for AI companies to train models using protected work without obtaining a license.