Dessa is described by Block as the first AI model capable of realistic conversation using speech alone, built from scratch on human dialogue. In a demo shared by Dessa lead Ragavan Thurairatnam, the model engaged in a back-and-forth chat that felt natural apart from an initial misidentification of the speaker. The announcement highlights Block's foray into conversational AI, though details on availability and integration remain limited.
Block unveils Dessa, an AI voice model trained on human speech
The model, developed by Jack Dorsey's payments company, aims for natural conversation but can be awkward at times
Block, the financial technology company led by Jack Dorsey, has announced Dessa, an AI model trained entirely on human conversation. The company showcased the full-duplex speech model with chat examples that were mostly natural but occasionally uncanny, including one instance where the model mistook a speaker for someone named Ronaldo.
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Analysis
Why This Matters
- Dessa represents a shift toward training AI models exclusively on spoken language, which could lead to more natural voice interactions.
- Its full-duplex capability allows for real-time, two-way conversation, a notable advance over many existing speech systems.
- The occasional awkwardness raises questions about reliability in practical applications like customer service or personal assistants.
Background
Block, the company behind payment services Square and Cash App, has expanded into AI with Dessa. The model is trained solely on human speech, distinguishing it from systems that rely on text transcripts or mixed data.
What to Watch
- Whether Block releases Dessa for public use or developer access.
- How the model performs in longer, more complex conversations beyond initial demos.
Sources
Checked
10 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 6 supported.
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- SupportedBlock announced an AI model called Dessa.The Verge: “Jack Dorsey's Block announced an AI model called Dessa”
- SupportedDessa is an AI voice model trained on human speech.The Verge: “trained "from scratch on nothing but human conversation,"”
- Partly supportedDessa was developed by Jack Dorsey's payments company.The Verge: “Jack Dorsey's Block announced an AI model called Dessa”
- Partly supportedDessa aims for natural conversation but can be awkward at times.The Verge: “The conversation between the model and the speaker does have a mostly natural back and forth”
- Partly supportedBlock is a financial technology company led by Jack Dorsey.The Verge: “Jack Dorsey's Block”
- SupportedBlock showcased a full-duplex speech model with chat examples.The Verge: “to show off the model, Block shared chats it has had with humans”
- SupportedThe chat examples were mostly natural but occasionally uncanny, including a case where the model mistook a speaker for Ronaldo.The Verge: “The conversation between the model and the speaker does have a mostly natural back and forth (though for some reason, the model initially mistakes the speaker for somebody named "Ronaldo").”
- SupportedBlock described Dessa as the first AI model that can support realistic conversation using speech alone.The Verge: “We made the first AI model you can have a realistic conversation with that was trained entirely on speech!”
- SupportedDessa lead Ragavan Thurairatnam shared a demo in which the model initially misidentified the speaker.The Verge: “Take this one , for example, shared by Dessa lead Ragavan Thurairatnam. The conversation between the model and the speaker does have a mostly natural back and forth (though for some reason, the model initially mistakes the speaker for somebody named "Ronaldo").”
- Not in the sourcesDetails on Dessa's availability and integration remain limited.