Block's latest AI model Dessa was trained entirely on human speech — and it shows

Summary

Block's new AI model, Dessa, trained on human speech, offers simultaneous listening and speaking, mimicking natural conversation. It demonstrates advanced understanding of tone, sarcasm, and emotion, surpassing current AI like ChatGPT and Siri.

Key Takeaways

1. Dessa, the brainchild of Jack Dorsey's Block, is allegedly the world's first full-duplex speech model, meaning it can listen to you and speak simultaneously, much like a real human does in the flow of normal conversation.
2. Dessa seems to understand when a human speaking to it is being sarcastic, which requires a sophisticated understanding of both tone and its relationship to the content of speech that adult humans process effortlessly but that has historically stumped AI models.
3. Block's motivation for developing Dessa is simple: "Speech is the most natural interface to any intelligence, super or otherwise, and today’s voice AI wastes it. It flattens what we say into text and can’t keep up with human timing. AI keeps gaining power and independence, and it’s still nearly deaf to the emotion in our voices. Imagine being in serious pain while a voice AI has no idea and just keeps going. That’s the safety problem. Dessa is a step toward fixing it."

Statement Breakdown

• Claimed Facts: 50% of statements the article presents as facts
• Opinions: 40% of statements classified as editorial or subjective
• Claims: 10% of statements surfaced for additional reader evaluation

Credibility & Bias Reasoning

Credibility assessment: The article presents information about a new AI model, Dessa, and its capabilities. It relies heavily on claims made in Block's press release and provides anecdotal evidence through audio clip descriptions. While the information is presented clearly, the lack of independent verification or expert commentary limits its overall credibility.

Bias assessment: Enthusiastic Tech Advocate. The article exhibits a strong positive bias towards the new AI technology, using words like 'rude awakening,' 'latest and greatest,' and 'major advancement.' It emphasizes the superiority of Dessa over existing AI like Siri and ChatGPT, framing it as a significant leap forward without substantial critical analysis.

Note: This article highlights a new AI model with impressive capabilities. While it paints a compelling picture, consider that it heavily relies on the developer's own promotional material and may not fully represent independent assessments.

Claimed Facts (5)

• This is presented as a factual claim about the model's technical specification.
• This describes a specific instance of the AI's performance, presented as factual observation.
• This details another specific interaction, presented as a factual account of the AI's response.
• This describes a comparative scenario, presented as a factual observation of the AI's performance.
• This is presented as a factual observation of the AI's capability.

Opinions (4)

• This is a subjective statement expressing an expectation of the reader's experience.
• This expresses a subjective judgment about the quality of Siri and the progress of AI.
• This is a subjective statement about the impact of the claims and the progress of AI.
• This is a subjective assessment of the significance of the AI model.

Claims (2)

• The term 'singularity' is speculative and highly debated, making this a sensationalized and unsubstantiated claim.
• This statement raises a philosophical question about AI's emotional capacity, implying a potential disconnect between recognition and genuine empathy, which is currently unprovable.

Key Sources

• Phil Clark — Author
• Jack Dorsey — Founder of Block
• Block — Company
• Siri — Voice Assistant
• ChatGPT — AI Model