Block Announces AI Model Dessa Trained on Human Conversation

1. 16:57
   BeInCryptoRelated fact: single source

   Jack Dorsey says there is no moat, Musk and Saylor debate Bitcoin and AI protection

   Report first recorded Oct 26, 17:24

   Block CEO Jack Dorsey posted "there is no moat" on X, referencing a leaked 2023 Google memo warning that open-source AI erodes the lead of closed labs. The phrase was linked to the launch of Dessa, a small voice AI model from Block that can run on a MacBook. MicroStrategy executive chairman Michael Saylor replied that Bitcoin itself is the moat, arguing it protects capital against inflation. Tesla CEO Elon Musk replied that Sparta never had a moat, relying on soldiers instead of walls.

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1. 00:00
   TechCrunch · AISource report revised

   Block releases Dessa, a human-like, full-duplex voice model runnable on consumer GPUs

   Report first recorded Oct 25, 00:09

   Block released Dessa, a full-duplex voice model trained entirely on human speech, capable of expressing emotions like laughs, pauses, and cries. Dessa can run locally on consumer GPUs such as a MacBook M4 Max or better, without needing a separate large language model for knowledge retrieval, deriving its knowledge from conversational data. While currently not publicly accessible, Block has invited safety researchers to test the model, noting that current voice AI often loses crucial information by converting voice to text. Square already utilizes voice AI for order handling, and this on-device model could lower costs for business and consumer experiences.

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1. 23:21
   CoinDeskSource report revised

   Block Unveils Dessa, A Voice AI Trained Only on Human Speech That Runs Locally

   Report first recorded Oct 24, 23:38

   Block introduced Dessa, a voice AI trained exclusively on human speech, enabling direct audio processing without text conversion. The model can handle conversational nuances like interruptions and laughter, and is compact enough to run locally on a MacBook Pro with an M4 Max chip. Currently, Dessa is a research preview, with initial access granted to AI safety researchers; Block has not disclosed the model size, benchmarks, or a public release date. Reactions range from awe at its human-like quality, which Jack Dorsey described as feeling like talking to a person, to concerns about its potential for scams, with CZ eyeing educational applications.

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2. 22:09
   The DecoderSource report revised

   Block Unveils Dessa, An AI Speech Model Trained Solely on Human Speech

   Report first recorded Oct 24, 22:35

   Block, the company behind Square and Cash App, introduced Dessa, an AI speech model trained entirely on human speech without any text data. Dessa processes audio directly, enabling real-time detection of emotions, sarcasm, laughter, and pauses, and supports full-duplex communication. It runs locally on a MacBook Pro M4 Max and was trained on a single NVIDIA GB200 NVL72. The model is currently available only for testing by AI security researchers.

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3. 03:32
   The Verge · AISource report revised

   Block unveils Dessa, an AI model trained solely on human conversation

   Report first recorded Oct 24, 04:16

   Block announced Dessa, a true speech-to-speech AI model trained from scratch only on human conversation, which can run locally on a MacBook Pro M4 Max or better. The model aims to explore language acquisition without written text, improve human-AI understanding, and enhance safety by capturing vocal emotion, addressing limitations in current voice AI. Dessa will provide early access to a small group of AI safety researchers.

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