Jack Dorsey's Dessa adds human elements into AI-generated speech including laughing, dynamic expressions, and reactions / Dessa
Creators are once again being asked to decide where AI is an asset to their creative process, and where it’s a liability.
On Friday, co-founder and former CEO of Twitter Jack Dorsey unveiled Dessa: a new AI tool that talks (and laughs) like a human.
“Talking with it feels like talking with a person…full of emotion, nuance, pauses, and a natural cadence,” Dorsey posted on X.
Over the weekend, his post gained over 13M views with a response that ranged from people asking when it would be available for download, to others calling Dessa “dystopian.”
How creators could use it: Dessa could be an unlock for podcast creators. Tone, timing, and emotion make a podcast or interview work, and text-based AI struggles with all three. Dessa could make possible:
Dubbing that matches human speaking patterns
Interactive audio experiences where fans can “talk” to a show
AI co-hosts or producers that can read the room in an edit session
The risks: AI slop content and deepfakes are already a problem across platforms.
A Kapwing study found 59% of a new TikTok user’s “For You” page is AI slop content, and the trend persists across apps.
To combat this, creators have started businesses to help other creators detect AI and protect their likeness, as platforms draw (and redraw) the boundaries for what content can and cannot be monetized.
For now, the debate is theoretical. Dessa isn’t public yet and Block is giving early access to a small group of AI safety researchers, with no release date announced.
Our AI conversation persists at HQ, and we want to know where you stand:
How do you feel about a realistic voice AI tool?
