Block releases Dessa voice model that runs locally on device
Block has launched a local voice model named Dessa that generates realistic human expressions and can converse and listen simultaneously.
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Jack Dorsey's financial services firm Block has released a new artificial intelligence voice model called Dessa from its research lab, TechCrunch AI reported. The model is trained entirely on human speech using a single Nvidia GPU rack and sounds remarkably human by incorporating expressions such as laughter, pauses, and cries. [1]
According to TechCrunch AI, Dessa operates as a full duplex model, meaning it can speak and listen at the same time. This capability mirrors the functionality of the GPT Live model that OpenAI released earlier this year. [1]
OpenAI originally accelerated the ongoing artificial intelligence investment boom when it released its ChatGPT chatbot on November 30, 2022. While typical speech systems rely on an underlying large language model for knowledge retrieval, Block said Dessa derives its knowledge directly from conversational data. [1][2]
Block stated that the model can run locally on a MacBook M4 Max processor. The company explained that it created Dessa because it believes voice represents the most natural medium for interacting with artificial intelligence. [1]
In short
- Block released a new voice AI model named Dessa created by its research lab.
- Dessa is trained on a single Nvidia GPU rack and can run locally on a MacBook M4 Max.
- The model operates in full-duplex mode to listen and speak simultaneously.
Sources
Every paragraph above points to the numbered items it rests on. Read the originals here.
- [1]Block’s new voice model sounds eerily humanTechCrunch AI, 9h ago (the report this story comes from)
Background
- [2]ChatGPT on Wikipedia
Our newsroom writes these reports with the help of software, from the 2 sources listed and nothing else, and checks them against those sources. Facts can still be wrong or move on; the originals are the record. Spotted a mistake? Write to daniel@monsterkong.com.
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