Block's new voice AI sounds eerily human, sparking awe and scam fears
Block has unveiled 'Dessa,' a new voice AI model capable of processing audio directly to mimic human speech patterns, including laughter and emotional nuance. While the technology has drawn praise for its natural interaction capabilities, it has also sparked significant concerns regarding its potential for deception and misuse.
Why it matters
As AI voice technology becomes indistinguishable from human speech, it raises critical ethical questions about trust, security, and the potential for sophisticated social engineering scams.
Called Dessa, the model was trained entirely on human speech rather than text and can listen while speaking, allowing it to handle interruptions, laughter and changes in tone during a conversation, according to the Block’s announcement .
“Talking with it feels like talking with a person…full of emotion, nuance, pauses, and a natural cadence,” Dorsey wrote on X .
In one demonstration, Dessa laughs in the middle of a sentence; in another, it reacts to a surprise with what sounds like genuine emotion. Block says the conversations were recorded live without anyone directing the model's responses.
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