How to Use Dessa AI
Updated
The short answer
You can't use Dessa yet. You can join Block's waitlist, and AI safety researchers can apply for early access. Nothing else exists: no app, no API, no download and no price.
Last checked: 2026-10-26
Step by step
- 01
Open the official page
Go to block.xyz/dessa. It is the only official entry point; Dessa has no app-store listing or separate sign-up site.
- 02
Join the waitlist
Use the "Join the waitlist" button at the top of the page. Block says launch links are "coming soon" and gives no date.
- 03
Researchers: apply for early access
Further down, a form offers early access to a small group of AI safety researchers. It asks for your name, an institutional email from a university, company or lab, and optionally a Google Scholar or blog link.
- 04
Watch for updates
Block says more recordings will be shared on X. We re-check the official page and update the status on our Dessa AI Voice page.
Status checked on 2026-10-26 against the official Dessa page. If anything here is out of date, the status banner on our main Dessa page is updated first.
What to use today instead
Two tools let you hear full-duplex conversation right now, and three cover realistic voices and cloning for your own content.
For real-time conversation
- ChatGPT Voice (GPT-Live)
OpenAI's full-duplex voice model, live in ChatGPT since July 2026. Free users get GPT-Live-1 mini; developers can use GPT-Live-1 through the API. Block's own demos include Dessa talking to GPT-Live-1.
Open ChatGPT → - Kyutai Moshi
An open full-duplex speech model from the Paris lab Kyutai. The weights are published under CC-BY 4.0, and there is a browser demo, so you can hear the listen-while-talking style without signing up.
Try the Moshi demo →
For realistic voices and cloning
- ElevenLabs
The most complete of the three. Instant voice cloning is included from the $6/mo Starter plan, professional cloning from Creator, and the API is documented. Start here if you need it to just work and you are not optimising for cost.
Try ElevenLabs → - Fish Audio
The cheapest of the three for volume: Plus is $11/mo billed annually for 250,000 credits, and voice cloning is listed on every plan. Free output is for personal, non-commercial use only.
Try Fish Audio → - Murf
Built around a studio timeline for voice-over rather than an API call. Voice cloning is an Enterprise add-on, so pick Murf for polished stock voices, not for cloning your own.
Try Murf →
The ElevenLabs link above is an affiliate link: if you sign up through it we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Fish Audio and Murf are linked without any affiliate deal. Tools are listed in the order we would recommend them.
Questions about Dessa access
Is there a Dessa waitlist?
Yes. The official Dessa page on block.xyz has a "Join the waitlist" button. Joining doesn't come with a date or a guarantee of access.
Do I need an invite to use Dessa?
Right now nobody outside Block has public access. The only early access offered is for AI safety researchers, by application with an institutional email.
Is there a free trial of Dessa?
No. There is no trial, plan or price, because Dessa isn't available as a product yet.
When will Dessa launch?
Block hasn't announced a date. The official page says launch links are "coming soon" — that is the only timing statement, and we don't guess beyond it.