Jorja Smith’s independent record label, FAMM, is seeking a share of royalties from the viral dance track “I Run,” arguing that the song used AI—trained on Smith’s catalog—to create vocals that impersonated the British singer. The label is framing the dispute as a critical, “uncharted territory” watershed moment for AI regulation in music.
The track, credited to the project Haven (Harrison Walker), quickly went viral on TikTok last October, gaining massive chart traction before being removed from streaming services due to artist impersonation notices.
FAMM alleges that Haven’s team intentionally used AI to clone Smith’s voice and relied on “public confusion as a key part of the marketing strategy.” The producers, Walker and Jacob Donaghue (Waypoint), admitted using the AI music generator Suno to transform Walker’s vocals, though they denied specifically prompting for Smith.
The Fight for Compensation and Control
Crucially, FAMM disclosed that Haven’s representatives approached the label after the track went viral to propose an official remix, a request FAMM claims was an attempt to “legitimise the track.” The label refused and is now demanding compensation, arguing that if AI was used to write the melody and lyrics, it must have been trained on Smith’s body of work.
If successful, FAMM plans to distribute any awarded royalties pro-rata among the songwriters who contributed to Smith’s catalog, asserting that the labor and ingenuity of human creators should not be used to train AI models without compensation.
A Call for Industry Guardrails
FAMM’s lengthy statement posted on Instagram emphasized the larger industry threat, echoing concerns from other artists:
“We are in uncharted territory. AI is all around us and already impacting the way we consume music. We need to talk about what that means for creatives.” – FAMM Statement
The label explicitly called for mandatory labeling of all AI-generated content and compensation for artists whose work is used in training models. The urgency of this issue is underscored by the fact that despite the controversy, the song has since been re-released with human vocals (from singer Kaitlin Aragon) and successfully charted in the UK Top 40.
The label concluded that “I Run” is a clear example of why the industry must “step up and push for some guardrails before the moment is completely lost.” The fight is now not just about one song, but about establishing the legal framework for the future of musical authenticity and rights.
Photo Credit: Ben Houdijk/Shutterstock
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