Models & Labs
Block releases Dessa, a local full-duplex voice model
TechCrunch AIhigh confidence
Why it matters
- →Demonstrates that high-fidelity emotional voice generation can run locally on consumer silicon.
- →Challenges the dominant text-intermediary pipeline used by most current voice AI products.
- →Highlights growing industry focus on full-duplex interaction for more natural human-computer dialogue.
Block has released Dessa, a new voice model developed by its research lab that operates locally on consumer-grade hardware such as the MacBook M4 Max. Unlike traditional systems that convert speech to text before generating audio, Dessa is trained directly on human speech data, allowing it to convey emotions like laughter and fatigue without external tags. The model supports full-duplex interaction, enabling simultaneous listening and speaking similar to OpenAI’s GPT-Live. Currently, the model is not publicly available; Block is inviting safety researchers to test for potential misuse scenarios before wider deployment.
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