Dessa waitlist sign-ups opened on 23 October 2026, when Block announced Dessa, its new speech-to-speech voice AI. Dessa was trained only on human conversation audio and sounds remarkably natural, so plenty of people want in. But there’s a catch: early access is going to a small group of AI safety researchers first. In the video below I cover another big voice AI launch, Mistral’s Voxtral 3, which you can use today while you wait. Here’s how the Dessa waitlist works, who gets in first and what to do in the meantime.
Key takeaways
- The official Dessa waitlist is on block.xyz/dessa.
- Early access goes to AI safety researchers with an institutional email.
- No public release date, pricing or open weights have been announced.
- Want voice AI working now? Claim a free strategy session.
Where to join the Dessa waitlist
The only official place to sign up is Block’s Dessa page: block.xyz/dessa. It has the announcement, the audio demos and the waitlist. Block hasn’t released an app, a download or an API, so anything else claiming to be Dessa isn’t from Block.
| Dessa at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Made by | A small AI research lab at Block (the company behind Square and Cash App) |
| Team | Founded by former members of the Toronto deep-learning startup Dessa; led by Ragavan Thurairatnam and reporting to Jack Dorsey |
| Announced | 23 October 2026 |
| Type | Full-duplex speech-to-speech conversation model |
| Trained on | Human conversation audio only — no text and no pretrained models |
| Training hardware | One NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 rack |
| Runs on | A MacBook Pro M4 Max or better, faster than real time (per Block) |
| Access | Public waitlist; early access for a small group of AI safety researchers |
Who gets access first?
Block says early access is limited to a small group of AI safety researchers, who apply with an institutional email address (for example from a university or research lab). That’s deliberate. Dessa sounds so human that Block wants safety experts to study it before it’s widely released.
Everyone else can still join the public waitlist to hear when access opens up. Block hasn’t said when that will be.
| You are… | What to expect |
|---|---|
| An AI safety researcher with an institutional email | Apply for early access now |
| A developer or business | Join the waitlist and wait for wider access |
| Just curious | Join the waitlist and listen to the demos on Block’s page |
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How to sign up for the Dessa waitlist
- Go to block.xyz/dessa.
- Find the waitlist form on the page.
- Use your institutional email if you’re applying as a researcher, or your normal email to join the general list.
- Read Block’s privacy notice, then submit.
- Watch your inbox, and ignore any message that asks you to pay for access — Block hasn’t announced pricing.
Only enter your details on Block’s own site. Popular launches attract fake waitlists and “early access” scams.
Why there’s a waitlist at all
Dessa isn’t an ordinary voice assistant. It’s a full-duplex model: it listens and speaks at the same time, with natural pauses, laughs and “mm-hmm”s it learned from real conversations. Block trained it from scratch on conversation audio only, with no text, on one NVIDIA GB200 NVL72 rack, and says it runs on a MacBook Pro M4 Max or better.
A voice that convincing raises real questions about impersonation and trust. Starting with safety researchers lets Block see how it could be misused before releasing it widely. For the full background, read my Dessa AI explainer.
What we don’t know yet
- Release date — none announced for the public.
- Pricing — not announced.
- Open weights or licence — not announced.
- Model size — not shared yet.
- API or app — nothing public yet.
I’ll update this page as Block shares more.
What to do while you wait
You don’t need Dessa to start using voice AI. There are strong tools available right now:
- Mistral Voxtral 3 — the voice model I cover in the video above.
- ElevenLabs — realistic voices for content and voice agents.
- Hermes Agent voice — talk to your agent out loud; see Hermes Apollo voice.
- A voice agent for calls — book appointments and answer common questions 24/7.
Build your voice workflows now with today’s tools. When Dessa or something like it opens up, you can swap in the better voice without starting again.
Dessa waitlist tips
- Use one email you check often so an invite doesn’t get buried.
- Researchers: say what you’ll study. Block is choosing safety researchers, so be clear about your work.
- Listen to the demos first on Block’s page so you know what Dessa can and can’t do.
- Follow Block’s official channels for access news, not third-party sites.
- Plan your use case now — calls, support, bookings — so you can test it on day one.
Being ready matters more than being first. The businesses that win with voice AI will be the ones that already know which conversations they want it to handle.
Should you join the Dessa waitlist?
Yes — it’s free and takes a minute, and you’ll hear as soon as access widens. Just don’t plan your business around a release date that doesn’t exist yet. Use the voice tools available today, and treat Dessa as an upgrade to look forward to.
My verdict on the Dessa waitlist
Block has built something that sounds genuinely human, and it’s being careful with it, so most people will wait a while. Sign up on Block’s official page, steer clear of fake offers, and get your voice AI running with today’s tools so you’re ready. That’s the smart way to use the Dessa waitlist.
About Julian Goldie
I’m Julian Goldie — founder of Goldie Agency and the AI Profit Boardroom. I test new AI agents almost every day for 432K+ YouTube subscribers and run Hermes, OpenClaw, OpenCode, Claude and Codex side by side in my own Agent OS. Claim your free strategy session or join the AI Profit Boardroom.
FAQ: dessa waitlist
Where is the Dessa waitlist?
On Block’s official page, block.xyz/dessa. It’s the only official place to sign up.
Who gets Dessa early access?
A small group of AI safety researchers who apply with an institutional email address.
When will Dessa be released to the public?
Block hasn’t announced a public release date.
Does the Dessa waitlist cost anything?
No pricing has been announced. Be wary of anyone asking you to pay for early access.
What can I use instead of Dessa right now?
Voice tools like Mistral Voxtral 3, ElevenLabs and Hermes Agent’s voice features are available today.
Ready to put Hermes to work in your business? Join the AI Profit Boardroom for the Agent OS, setup training and daily updates.
Or claim your free strategy session and we’ll map out your setup.
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Related reading
Last updated October 2026. This page is a living guide to dessa waitlist — the facts here move fast and it is updated as they do.
