Block's Dessa AI Talks Like a Real Human, No Text Involved

Block, the company founded by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, has unveiled a new voice AI model named Dessa that can engage in real-time conversations like a real human. The model, described as the most authentic full-duplex speech model, runs locally on a MacBook Pro M4 Max or better and does not rely on text or pretrained models. Dessa listens and talks simultaneously, with no transcription layer, and is trained solely on real human conversations. The company claims it can process speech faster than real time with no latency. While Dessa is currently in research preview, the only evidence of its capabilities is through public demos. The model is said to capture emotion, pauses, and natural cadence, making interactions feel more human. The company also highlights that Dessa can autonomously decide when to speak and how, with its own distinct personality. Dessa's ability to laugh mid-sentence and respond empathetically sets it apart from other AI models. The model was trained on a single NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 and is the result of years of research by a small AI lab at Block.

Reporting: Indian Express

This is an AI-generated story and may contain errors. Please verify important information with the original sources.