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Block lab unveils Dessa, a local full-duplex speech-to-speech model
Block’s small AI research lab, which reports to Jack Dorsey, published a page for Dessa, a speech-to-speech model it says is full-duplex, trained only on human speech, and runs locally on a MacBook Pro M4 Max or better.
- block.xyz is now reporting this
- New headline Was: “Dessa: the most authentic full-duplex speech model ever built”
- Our desk filed its story
Block published a product page for Dessa, a speech-to-speech model from a small AI research lab at the company, describing it as full-duplex and trained only on human speech1.
The lab said audio goes in and audio comes out, and that everything the model knows came from human speech1. It said Dessa listens and talks at the same time, including short backchannels such as acknowledgments, and that inference runs faster than real time so there is no wait between turns1.
Block said the model runs locally on a MacBook Pro M4 Max or better1. The page did not list a download, license, or independent evaluation1.
A demo on the page shows Dessa in conversation with a third-party system labeled GPT-Live-11. Block said both voices are AI-generated and that GPT-Live-1’s developer is not affiliated with Block and has not reviewed or endorsed Dessa1.
The group described itself as a very small AI research lab at Block, founded by former members of Dessa, a Toronto deep learning startup1. It said it has built deep learning models since 2012 and generative speech models for more than eight years, and that it reports directly to Jack Dorsey, Block’s cofounder, chairman and Block Head1.
Researchers listed were Louay Hazami, Hashiam Kadhim, Qi (Alex) Liu, Rayhane Mama, Aydin Polat and Marc Tyndel, with interns Cara Ji, Jibran Iqbal Shah and Dvir Zagury-Grynbaum1. The page invited contact at an email on the Block domain1.
Block called Dessa the most authentic full-duplex speech model ever built1. That claim is the company’s wording and was not corroborated by a third-party test in the material reviewed1.