XYZ ▼ -3.1% - Block, Inc. $XYZ unveiled Dessa, a full-duplex speech AI trained entirely on human conversations, without text or pretrained models. Block claims it is the first speech-only AI capable of realistic live conversations. * Natural Interaction: Dessa listens and speaks simultaneously, handling interruptions, laughter, sarcasm, emotional cues and changes in volume. Unlike systems that convert speech to text, it processes and generates audio directly. * Training: Block says Dessa learned language from hundreds of times fewer words than text-based LLMs and was trained using a single NVIDIA ($NVDA) GB200 NVL72 system. * Performance: Inference runs faster than real time, with local operation supported on a MacBook Pro M4 Max or better. * Demonstrations: Block released live, unsteered conversations showing Dessa independently controlling its responses, timing, voice and personality, including an exchange with OpenAI's GPT-Live-1. * Purpose: Block says speech-only training preserves emotional and contextual signals lost through transcription, potentially improving AI communication and safety. 23-OCT-2026 06:23 PM ET