Block Unveils Humanlike Voice AI Model Called Dessa
Jack Dorsey’s Block has introduced a remarkably humanlike voice AI model called Dessa, sparking both amazement and fraud concerns.
Block Unveils Humanlike Voice AI Model Called Dessa
Jack Dorsey's Block has introduced a remarkably humanlike voice AI model called Dessa, sparking both amazement and fraud concerns.
Block Introduces Advanced Voice AI Model
Jack Dorsey's payments company Block has unveiled a new voice AI model that sounds remarkably human in company demonstrations, according to an announcement from the firm. Called Dessa, the model was trained entirely on human speech rather than text and can listen while speaking. This capability allows it to handle interruptions, laughter, and changes in tone during a conversation.
“Talking with it feels like talking with a person…full of emotion, nuance, pauses, and a natural cadence,” Dorsey wrote on X. In one demonstration shared by the company, Dessa laughs in the middle of a sentence, while another showcases a reaction to surprise with what sounds like genuine emotion. Block stated that these conversations were recorded live without any direct control over the model's responses.
Technical Architecture and Local Capabilities
Unlike systems that first convert speech into text before generating a spoken response, Dessa processes audio directly. Block reported that it trained the model from scratch using a single Nvidia GB200 NVL72 computing system. Furthermore, the model is compact enough to run locally on a MacBook Pro equipped with an M4 Max chip or better, according to the firm’s statement.
For now, Dessa remains a research preview rather than a publicly available product. Block has not yet disclosed the model’s size, benchmark results, or a specific public release date, and its audio samples remain company demonstrations rather than independent tests.
Reactions Range From Praise to Scam Fears
Dessa’s public demonstration quickly drew widespread attention on social media. X user Alexander Hoff noted that he had never heard anything artificial sound so human, while user Hesamation described the technology as straight-up sci-fi. Binance founder Changpeng Zhao also commented on the release, suggesting potential applications in education through his GiggleAcademy project to help children learn via conversation.
However, the realistic audio quality also raised immediate concerns regarding potential deception and fraud. Filmmaker Justine Bateman questioned why artificial intelligence needs to sound human if not to mislead people, while journalist Shiv Aroor warned that scam calls could reach pandemic levels. In response to these safety worries, Block is offering early access to a small group of AI safety researchers to assess risks.
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