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

What BBN said about it

1. 

   Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorJack Dorsey's company Block has built an AI voice model called Dessa, trained from scratch on nothing but human conversation, the Verge reports.

2. 

   Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorBlock shared chats it's had with people, and they're a bit awkward and uncanny. It also laughs mid-sentence and talks quieter when you ask.

3. 

   Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorIt listens and speaks at the same time.

4. 

   Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorSo it talks over you. I have colleagues who've done that for years, and nobody gave them a launch.

5. 

   Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorWhere does it live? Is it in a building?

6. 

   Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorBlock says it runs locally on a MacBook Pro with an M4 Max chip or better. No cloud.

7. 

   Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorA MacBook Pro with an M4 Max. That's a lot of laptop to spend on a long pause.

8. 

   Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorBlock says babies learn to talk without seeing a word written down, and this is the same, just very hard.

9. 

   Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorEarly access is going to a small group of safety researchers, and the waitlist is open.

10. 

    Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorCommentators are worried about deception, and the demo is a machine that sounds slightly unsure, which is my favorite kind of salesman.

11. 

    Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorHashtag awkwardfriend. I'd like it to meet my neighbor, who's been awkward at me for eleven years.