Jack Dorsey's company Block introduces Dessa, an AI model capable of mimicking human emotions
Jack Dorsey's company Block has announced Dessa, a new voice-based AI model capable of directly mimicking human speech without the need for text-based processes, running on consumer hardware.
Block, founded by Jack Dorsey, has introduced a new voice AI model called 'Dessa' developed by its research laboratory. Featuring full-duplex operating capabilities, this model can process directly through speech without relying on text-to-speech pipelines.
Dessa can incorporate natural human expressions such as laughter, pauses, and emotional intonations into the speech flow. Capable of running locally on consumer-grade hardware such as the MacBook M4 Max, the model was trained on a single Nvidia GPU rack. Block states that this technology could enhance interaction quality and reduce costs in financial solutions like Square.
Not publicly available at this time, the model has been made available to security researchers for testing. The company aims to address potential security concerns such as the risk of misuse of the technology or the deception of individuals.
Sources
- techcrunch.com · Link