🔗 Share this article Soul Singer the Artist's Music Label Takes a Stand Regarding Viral 'AI Copy' Song Smith's vocals were reportedly replicated in the production of the viral song, 'I Run'. The record label representing award-winning singer Jorja Smith has declared its intention to receive a portion of royalties from a song it claims was produced using an artificial intelligence "clone" of the singer's unique vocal style. The track, titled 'I Run' by UK dance act Haven, achieved widespread traction on social media last October, in part due to its smooth soul singing by an unnamed female singer. Although its success and impending top 40 position in both UK and US, the track was subsequently removed by leading music services after music organizations sent copyright requests, stating it breached copyright by impersonating another artist. Although 'I Run' has since been re-released with completely new singing, Smith's label, FAMM, maintains it believes the original recording was made with AI trained on her extensive work and is now pursuing appropriate compensation. A Broader Issue in Play "The situation isn't just about one artist. This is bigger than one artist or a single track," the label stated in a public announcement. FAMM further stated its belief that "each iterations of the track violate Jorja's rights and unfairly take advantage of the work of all the writers with whom she collaborates." Famous for songs like 'Be Honest' and 'Little Things', Smith was named Best British Female at the annual Brit Awards in 2019. Suggesting that her fans were possibly misled by Haven's original track, the label added: "Our industry must not allow this to become the new normal." Creators Admit Using AI Technology One producer confirmed the use of AI in a social media post. The duo behind the track have openly confirmed utilizing AI in its production process. Songwriter Harrison Walker explained that the original vocals were in fact his own but were heavily manipulated using music-generation platform Suno, sometimes referred to as the "advanced tool for music". In addition, the second member, Waypoint, identified as Jacob Donaghue, confirmed on social media that AI was used to "apply our starting vocal a female tone". Donaghue and Walker assert that they wrote and created the music themselves and have even shared files of their original computer files. "It is no secret that I used AI-assisted vocal processing to transform solely my voice for 'I Run'," Walker elaborated. "As a songwriter and producer, I like using new tools, methods and remaining on the cutting edge of what's happening," he added. "In order to set the record straight, the artists behind HAVEN are actual and people, and all we want to do is make enjoyable music for fellow humans." Legal Uncertainty and Industry Impact Jorja Smith has received multiple Brit Awards, including the best female artist in 2019. Although their original version of 'I Run' was suspended from major charts, the new recording did break into the UK Top 40 recently. FAMM has framed the incident as a significant precedent for the music industry's evolving relationship with AI. The label argued it had "a duty to voice concerns" and "stimulate wider discussion", because AI is proliferating at an "rapid rate and substantially outpacing regulation". "Computer-created material should be clearly labelled as such so that the audience may decide whether they consume it or not," the message continued. Artists as 'Collateral Damage' Smith endorsed her label's position on her personal Instagram profile. The text cautioned that musicians and songwriters were becoming "unintended casualties in the competition by policymakers and corporations towards AI dominance". It also noted that the label would distribute any awarded songwriting credits with the collaborators behind Smith's music. "Should we are able in establishing that AI assisted to write the words and melody in 'I Run' and are awarded a portion of the song, we would seek to assign each of Jorja's collaborators with a pro-rata share," it explained. The Ongoing Rise of AI Music The proliferation of AI-generated music has been a topic of both fascination and consternation for the entertainment world. In June, the band Velvet Sundown gathered millions of streams before disclosing they used AI to aid craft their sound. Last month, an AI-generated "performer" called Breaking Rust topped a US country digital song sales chart, demonstrating that audiences are not always opposed to consuming computer-generated music. Suno was previously sued for alleged violations by the industry's three biggest record labels, though those legal actions have since been settled. Subsequently, Warner Music established a collaboration with the firm, which will allow users to generate songs using the vocal likenesses, names, and likenesses of Warner acts who opt in to the service. However, it remains unclear how a large number of established musicians will consent to such uses of their work. Just last week, a collective of prominent musicians including Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush released a vinyl album containing silent songs or recordings of empty studios in opposition to proposed changes to intellectual property regulations. They argue these changes would make it easier for AI companies to develop models using protected work without obtaining a permission.