🔗 Share this article Soul Vocalist the Artist's Record Company Takes a Stand Against Viral 'Artificial Intelligence Clone' Track The artist's vocals were allegedly copied in the production of the viral song, 'I Run'. The music company representing award-winning singer Jorja Smith has stated its desire to claim a portion of royalties from a track it asserts was created using an AI "clone" of the singer's distinctive voice. The song, titled 'I Run' by UK dance act Haven, achieved widespread popularity on TikTok last October, in part due to its polished soul singing by an unnamed woman vocalist. Despite its success and impending top 40 position in both UK and US, the song was subsequently removed by major music services after music organizations sent takedown notices, stating it violated intellectual property law by impersonating another musician. Although 'I Run' has since been re-released with completely new vocals, Smith's label, FAMM, maintains it is convinced the original version was made with AI programmed on her body of recordings and is now pursuing financial redress. A Larger Issue in Play "This is not only about one artist. It's larger than a single performer or a single track," the label wrote in a public statement. FAMM further expressed its view that "each iterations of the track infringe on Jorja's legal rights and unjustly take advantage of the creative output of all the songwriters with whom she works." Known for songs like 'Be Honest' and 'Little Things', Smith was named Best British Female at the prestigious Brit Awards in 2019. Suggesting that her supporters were potentially deceived by Haven's original track, the label concluded: "We must not allow this to be the standard practice." Creators Admit Using AI Technology A producer confirmed the use of AI in a public post. The duo responsible for the track have openly admitted utilizing AI in its creation. Songwriter Harrison Walker clarified that the initial vocals were actually his own but were extensively altered using music-generation software Suno, sometimes referred to as the "advanced tool for music". Meanwhile, the second member, Waypoint, whose real name is Jacob Donaghue, confirmed on his accounts that AI was used to "apply our original vocal a feminine tone". Donaghue and Walker assert that they composed and produced the music themselves and have even provided evidence of their original computer files. "This shouldn't be mystery that I used AI-assisted vocal editing to convert solely my voice for 'I Run'," Walker said. "As a creator and producer, I enjoy experimenting with new tools, techniques and remaining on the cutting edge of industry trends," he added. "In order to set the facts straight, the artists behind HAVEN are actual and human, and all we want to do is make enjoyable music for other humans." Legal Uncertainty and Industry Impact Jorja Smith has won two Brit Awards, including the top female honor in 2019. While their first version of 'I Run' was blocked from official charts, the replacement version did enter the UK Top 40 recently. FAMM has framed the incident as a significant test case for the entertainment sector's changing relationship with artificial intelligence. The label argued it had "an obligation to voice concerns" and "encourage public discourse", because AI is advancing at an "alarming rate and substantially exceeding legal oversight". "Computer-created material should be transparently identified as such so that the audience may decide whether they consume it or not," the statement continued. Artists as 'Collateral Damage' Smith shared her label's statement on her personal Instagram profile. The post warned that artists and songwriters were becoming "unintended casualties in the competition by governments and tech firms towards AI supremacy". It further noted that the label would distribute any awarded royalties with the writers behind Smith's music. "Should we are successful in establishing that AI assisted to write the words and tune in 'I Run' and are granted a share of the song, we would aim to allocate every one of Jorja's co-writers with a corresponding share," it detailed. The Ongoing Rise of AI Music The emergence of AI-generated music has been a source of both fascination and anxiety for the entertainment world. In the summer, the band Velvet Sundown accumulated vast numbers of plays before revealing they used AI to aid develop their musical style. Recently, an AI-generated "performer" called Breaking Rust topped a US country digital song sales chart, showing that listeners are not always opposed to hearing computer-generated music. Suno was previously taken to court for alleged violations by the world's major biggest record labels, though those cases have now been settled. Subsequently, Warner Music entered into a collaboration with the firm, which will allow users to create songs using the voices, names, and images of Warner artists who opt in to the service. Yet, it remains unclear how many well-known artists will consent to such applications of their identity. Recently, a group of renowned artists such as Sir Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Damon Albarn, and Kate Bush issued a vinyl album containing tracks of silence or recordings of empty studios in opposition to proposed revisions to intellectual property regulations. They argue these changes would make it simpler for AI companies to train models using copyrighted work without securing a permission.