Jorja Smith's Label Seeks Shares From Viral HAVEN. Hit 'I Run,' Allege AI Usage & Likeness

The independent UK-based record label, FAMM, has publicly opened a conversation about the HAVEN. hit, I Run, and it aims to establish that AI helped write the lyrics and melody of the song, as well as to allege that the vocals are similar to British R&B singer Jorja Smith.

Earlier this month, I Run was removed from streaming services amid allegations of AI usage. HAVEN., the project of Harrison Walker, admitted that he used the AI service Suno to generate “soulful vocal samples” that ended up sounding eerily similar to Smith. Promotional materials in the lead-up to the single’s release also indicated that Smith was involved in the track, which she denied.

Walker released the track via Isekai Records, Broke Records, and Against All Odds in October. Since its arrival on the music scene, the track has skyrocketed in popularity on social media, appearing in tens of thousands of TikTok videos alone.

In mid-November, the song debuted in the top ten of the ARIA charts, landing at a very respectable #8, directly between Olivia Dean's So Easy (To Fall In Love) and RAYE's Where Is My Husband!.

Since the claims of AI-generated content were made on social media and the track was removed from Spotify and Apple Music (and re-uploaded numerous times) on TikTok, Tidal, and YouTube, the credits have been updated to list Kaitlin Aragon as an additional performer alongside HAVEN.

In a statement posted on Instagram, FAMM insisted that the matter of I Run “isn’t just about Jorja. It’s bigger than one artist or one song.” The label alleges that Walker used AI to “make his voice sound like Jorja’s and had used Jorja’s name” without permission, which suggested to listeners that Smith was actually the vocalist.

While the track now features a real human vocal, FAMM claim that “both versions of the track infringe on Jorja’s rights and unfairly take advantage of the work of all the songwriters with whom she collaborates.”

FAMM added that they “have a duty to speak up” as the usage and efficacy of AI is booming at an “alarming rate and substantially outpacing regulation.” The label said that AI technology is being trained on “the labour and ingenuity” of artists, or, as FAMM puts it, “the very same creators it intends to replace without any due credit or compensation.”

FAMM further alleged that HAVEN.’s team reached out following I Run’s virality “to ask whether Jorja would jump on a remix,” claiming that the offer arrived “as they needed to legitimise the track.

“At no point did they mention to us that AI had been used to manipulate the existing vocals, but we already had a suspicion that this was the case,” the label continued. “We could have cut a cheque in a backroom deal and gotten paid, but we ignored the request.”

In a slide entitled What Happens Next?, the label stated that AI content should be clearly labelled so the general public can choose whether to consume it. Artists who allow their works to be used to train AI should be “credited and compensated accordingly,” FAMM added.

They continued, “If we are successful in establishing that AI helped to write the lyrics and melody in I Run and are awarded a share of the song, we would seek to allocate each of Jorja’s co-writers with a pro-rata share.

“This allocation would be based on the % of Jorja’s catalogue that they have contributed to, as, ultimately, if AI helped to write I Run, it would have been trained on Jorja’s catalogue of songs.”

In the next slide, drawing comparisons to real-life singer Victoria Monét discussing AI artist Xania Monét, FAMM said, “As we can draw a link between (i) the use of Jorja’s name and likeness, and (ii) the similarity in the sound of the vocals, we can shine a light on what has happened here and hopefully spark a discussion that is so desperately needed.”

FAMM concluded that creators have become “collateral damage in the race by governments and corporations towards AI dominance.”

“This means we can’t rely on governments to establish the framework we need, as that would require restricting the training and use of AI,” the label said.

Adding that songwriters and recording artists don’t make music “by chance,” but by years of determination, endeavouring to take on new tasks, and yes, talent, the label insisted the actual artist’s journey “should never be lost” in conversations about AI.

They concluded, “I Run seems to be a clear example of why we all need to step up and push for some guardrails before the moment is completely lost.”

I Run is currently available to stream and credits singer Kaitlin Aragon along with HAVEN.

Jorja Smith shared FAMM’s statement on her Instagram Stories. You can read it in its entirety below.

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