Alex Banks

Building a better future with AI

Alex Banks is a founder, creator and investor. He reaches over 1 million people on social media each week with insights into the world of artificial intelligence (AI).

He is the founder and writer of The Signal, a weekly newsletter that cuts through the AI noise to over 50,000+ readers.

Alex is also an active early-stage investor and advisor to startups across the AI and technology landscape.

👉 All partnerships, enquiries and speaking engagements: contact@noisemedia.ai

Writer

As an introvert, I used to struggle with interaction.

Luckily AI is becoming the Great Equaliser:

1. Speech-to-speech: Real-time conversation without the pressure
→ Example: ChatGPT's voice mode enables natural, flowing dialogue
→ Benefit: Perfect for on-the-go brainstorming, notetaking or setting tasks
→ Access: https://chatgpt.com/

2. Visual learning: Complex information made simple
→ Example: NotebookLM creates mind maps, flashcards, and video overviews
→ Benefit: Transforms dense material into formats that match how you think
→ Access: https://notebooklm.google/

3. Content creation: Building your personal brand becomes accessible
→ Example: GrowHub crafts LinkedIn posts that sound like you, not AI
→ Benefit: Share your thoughts online without hours of writing
→ Access: https://growhub.ai/

4. Speech-to-text: Your thoughts flow without typing friction
→ Example: Wispr Flow captures your ideas through natural dictation
→ Benefit: Write faster by speaking, perfect for those who think out loud
→ Access: https://lnkd.in/eCTTPPEz

5. Guided learning: Ask unlimited "why's" without judgment
→ Example: Gemini 2.5 Flash's guided learning mode breaks down any topic
→ Benefit: Patient, step-by-step explanations at your own pace
→ Access: https://gemini.google.com/

My take?

The possibilities of what we can achieve with AI are endless.

Especially when paired with human creativity, curiosity, and ambition.

A whole new game has been created where everyone gets to play.

So here's my question to you:

How has AI helped you overcome a personal challenge?

Share your story below.

P.S. Follow me Alex Banks for daily AI highlights & insights.

I cover the most important AI developments each week in my newsletter.

Subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/ePSZP6KF

Image credit: Tobi Lutke on X

Google just woke up.

And OpenAI is feeling the heat.

A leaked internal memo from Sam Altman just surfaced.

The OpenAI CEO admits Google's AI progress could "create some temporary economic headwinds."

Here's what's happening:

→ OpenAI's revenue growth could slow to single digits by 2026
→ They're projecting a $74 billion operating loss by 2028
→ Gemini 3 Pro now leads GPT-5.1 in reasoning and coding tasks

Altman's own words: "Google has been doing excellent work recently in every aspect."

This is a massive shift.

For 3 years, OpenAI had peacetime dominance.

Now it’s a wartime scenario.

OpenAI is scrambling with social-infused features like Sora 2 App and group chats in ChatGPT in an effort to push top-line revenue and seek virality.

Meanwhile, Google's been quietly building:

→ Gemini 3 for reasoning
→ Nano Banana Pro for images
→ Veo 3.1 for video
→ TPUs powering everything

The real insight here:

• Google wasn't the first search engine
• Many came and went before it
• What matters is being the last mover

Owning the "stack" from chip to chatbot creates the only real enduring moat.

My takeaway:

Frontier LLMs are rapidly commoditising.

OpenAI pioneered the technology, but it can't defend margins when competitors match its capability.

I recently switched my new default model from GPT-5.1 to Gemini 3 “Fast” mode for general Q&A tasks because of its speed.

The sleeping giant has woken up.

And the AI race just got a whole lot more interesting.

Follow me Alex Banks for daily AI highlights and insights.

I cover the most important AI developments each week in my newsletter.

Subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/ePSZP6KF

Runway just dropped Gen-4.5.

It's now the world's # 1 AI video model.

The numbers:

→ 1,247 ELO score on Artificial Analysis leaderboard
→ Beats Google’s Veo 3, Kling 2.5, and OpenAI’s Sora 2 Pro
→ Top-rated model globally

Core capabilities:

→ Unprecedented physical accuracy (realistic weight, momentum, and force)
→ Complex multi-element scenes rendered with precision
→ Maintains visual consistency across diverse aesthetics
→ Intricate camera choreography from single prompts
→ Handles both photorealistic and stylised animation

What's different:

• Built entirely on NVIDIA GPUs (Hopper and Blackwell series)
• Same speed and pricing as Gen-4
• All existing control modes coming to Gen-4.5 (Image to Video, Keyframes, Video to Video)

Current limitations:

1. Causal reasoning issues: A door might open before someone touches the handle. Effects can precede causes.
2. Object permanence problems: A cup can vanish after being blocked from view, then reappear in the next frame.
3. Success bias: Actions succeed too often, e.g., a poorly aimed basketball shot still goes in.

Already being used by:

→ Target (Retail & Ecommerce)
→ BBC (Broadcast)
→ Ubisoft (Gaming)

Runway says it will be available to everyone in the coming days.

My takeaway:

Two years ago, Runway released Gen-1, the first publicly available video generation model.

Now they're setting a new benchmark.

We’re one step closer to systems that truly understand how the real world actually works.

I can feel the video generation race really accelerating and we're all going to benefit from this competition.

Follow me Alex Banks for daily AI highlights and insights.

Want to learn how to leverage AI in your work?

Subscribe to my newsletter:
https://lnkd.in/ePSZP6KF

China just shipped $113M of humanoid robots.

UBTECH’s Walker S2 has begun mass production:

The Numbers:

→ 800M yuan (~$113M) in orders secured
→ 500 robots delivering by year-end
→ 5,000 annual capacity by 2026
→ 10,000 units by 2027

Who's Buying:

• BYD
• Geely Auto
• FAW-Volkswagen
• Foxconn
• Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor
• SF Express

What Makes Walker S2 Production-Ready:

→ 176cm tall, 70kg, 52 degrees of freedom
→ Walks at 2m/s with humanoid gait
→ 162° waist rotation for tight spaces
→ Deep squat capability with 15kg payload
→ Gen-4 dexterous hands with 6 tactile sensors
→ "Human-eye" binocular vision system

I was impressed by the 3-minute autonomous battery swap:

Traditional robots:
Work 5 hours → Stop → Charge → Wait

Walker S2:
Work 5 hours → Swap battery (3 mins) → Keep working

The dual-battery system monitors power in real-time and autonomously chooses to swap or charge based on task priorities.

Result: 24/7 continuous operation with zero human intervention.

Market Response: 

→ UBTECH's stock climbed 150% this year to 133 HKD
→ Revenue up 27.5% to 621M yuan
→ Humanoids now represent 30% of total sales (up from 10% last year)

My takeaway:

We've crossed the chasm from R&D to real deployment.

The race has shifted from who can build the flashiest demo to who can deliver real scale, maintain uptime, and prove ROI.

UBTECH seems to be answering all three.

Follow me Alex Banks for daily AI highlights and insights.

P.S. I’ll be doing a full breakdown in my newsletter this week.

I cover the most important AI developments to keep you ahead.

Subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/ePSZP6KF

This 1965 clip of Isaac Asimov blows my mind.

He predicted exactly what we're building today:

The convergence of humans and machines into something new.

The two-way transformation is now undeniable:

1. Robots becoming more human-like

• Humanoid robots are starting to move like us
• Neural networks are mimicking our brains
• Soft robotics using organic-inspired materials

2. Humans incorporating more technology

• Neuralink developing brain-computer interfaces
• Advanced prosthetics controlled by thought
• Artificial organs replacing failing human ones

Most people only know Asimov for his famous Three Laws of Robotics:

1. A robot may not harm a human or allow harm
2. A robot must obey human orders (unless violating Law 1)
3. A robot must protect itself (unless violating Laws 1 or 2)

Asimov saw what others couldn't.

While everyone debated if machines could think, he asked what happens when they merge with us.

A hybrid species might surpass both humans and machines.

My takeaway:

In a world obsessed with AI replacing humans, Asimov offered a different vision 60 years ago.

Not replacement, but convergence.

The line between humans and machines will continue to blur.

Is this the future we need?

Follow me Alex Banks for daily AI highlights and insights.

I cover the most important AI developments each week in my newsletter.

Subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/ePSZP6KF

Dave Kline

Become the Leader You’d Follow | Founder @ MGMT | Coach | Advisor | Speaker | Trusted by 250K+ leaders.

Hey, I’m Dave Kline.

I teach leaders how to build All-Star teams and level up their careers.

After decades of leading in pretty intense environments, from Bridgewater Associates to Moody’s Analytics, I know what it takes to be the manager your team remembers (for the right reasons).

Why I can help you is simple:

I’ve been through it.

And to prove it, here’s my background (by the numbers) ⤵️

2: Decades leading high-impact teams in asset management (Bridgewater), consulting (PwC), & financial services (Moody’s Analytics).

4: Years as an entrepreneur. My portfolio includes Skillscouter (an online course & career site), and MGMT Accelerator (a cohort-based management training course).

14: Cohorts of early-career leaders that I’ve taught at multiple companies.

100: Managers I recruited, onboarded & mentored at Bridgewater Associates.

1,000: Performance evaluations with grace and respect for stars and terminations alike.

205,000+: My community across LinkedIn & Twitter interested in management tactics & leadership lessons

385,000,000: My team’s top revenue year at Moody’s.

Now that we’ve covered the why, here’s the how:

- The MGMT Accelerator – an intensive management training course for both new and senior leaders
- MGMT Fundamentals – a course that covers all the need-to-know management basics for rookie leaders
- The MGMT Playbook – a weekly newsletter that gives practical management insights

Through our MGMT courses, my wife Marsden and I have played the assist with over 1,100 leaders so far, who’ve now learned how to:

- Practically tackle the most common leadership challenges
- Build their Management OS’s CODE (Coach, Operate, Delegate, Engage)
- Refine their individual leadership Decision-Making System

With our 30+ years of combined experience, you won’t just get our knowledge.

You’ll get to ask us questions directly and get access to coaching that’s more tailored to your own experience.

We always say – if we could do it like a dinner party, we would.

If you’re interested in leadership advice (that doesn’t just sound nice but actually works), drop me a follow – I post daily.

And if you like what you see, our MGMT courses could be just what you need to level up.

DM me if you’re interested.

Co-Founder

We created the MGMT Accelerator to help managers rapidly develop into trusted leaders by combining the art & science of management. 

This 4-week program consistents of eight 90-minute modules where I share the tactics I learned leading high-performing teams for 25 years. During each session, we tailor those insights together to build your personalized management system together. 

You'll learn alongside ~50 peers and become part of an expert community of more than 300 alums.

The soft skills are sometimes the hardest.

Which is why they're so valuable.

Think about the best person you worked with.
- The one who quietly set the standard.
- The one who made everyone else better. 
- The one you'd want to bring with you.

What made them stand out?

Yes, they were good at their job. 
But there was something more.

It was how they showed up. 

4 Underrated Career Skills:

1. Raise the Energy of the Room
→ Make others feel more capable, not less
→ Add enthusiasm when it's absent
→ Choose optimism

2. Be Enjoyable to Work With
→ Create calm in chaos
→ Blend excellence with enjoyment
→ Become everyone's "go-to" resource

3. Keep Your Commitments
→ Replace "I'll try" with "I will"
→ Build trust through reliable delivery 
→ Promise carefully, deliver consistently

4. Lead Regardless of Title
→ Tackle the problems others avoid
→ Take initiative before it's obvious
→ Make decisions that prioritize progress

The truth about these skills:

They're 100% your choice.
Only 1% do all 4.

And that's your opportunity.

Simple ≠ Easy
That's why it works.

And yes, AI is changing everything. 
Including making these skills more valuable.

⬇️ Which skill has helped your career most?

🔔 Follow Dave Kline for more
♻️ Share to help others grow

Your team doesn't need you to have all the answers,

As long as you ask the right questions. 

Here are 20 questions that:

- Uncover meaningful problems
- Unlock the team's potential
- Unleash breakthrough results

And what you should listen for...

THE WORK (And How Work Gets Done)

1. What does excellence look like?
2. How do we measure success?
3. Name our three critical priorities.
4. Where do you get blocked?
5. Which processes feel unnecessary?

What to listen for:
Can they define exceptional work with specificity? 
Do they know what truly matters versus what's just noise? 
Will they challenge inefficient processes? 

Great teams have clarity and the courage to stay focused.

ENGAGEMENT (What Drives People)

6. What energizes you most?
7. How do you prefer feedback?
8. What skills do you want to build?
9. When were you most proud?
10. Where do you want to be in one year?

What to listen for:
Where does their natural energy flow? 
Do they invite improvement or avoid it? 
Are they driving their own development with purpose? 

Great teams have energy and raise everyone else's.

ALIGNMENT (Staying Connected)

11. How does your work impact our mission?
12. What's our biggest opportunity?
13. Where do you see team friction?
14. What information would help you?
15. What should we stop doing?

What to listen for:
Do they see their strategic value beyond their task list? 
Can they spot future wins and surface hard truths? 
Will they challenge the status quo? 

Great teams have a shared mission and the systems to compound.

MOMENTUM (Progress & Patterns)

16. What's our best improvement this quarter?
17. Where are we falling behind?
18. What problems keep returning?
19. Which changes worked best?
20. "What one change would help most?

What to listen for:
Do they build on wins or just move to the next thing? 
Will they flag real risks honestly? 
Can they spot systemic issues versus one-off problems? 

Great teams have direction and an unstoppable desire to improve.

Remember:

The secret isn't in asking the questions.
It's listening deeply to what follows.

Great questions reveal the truth.
Great leaders do something about it.

Helpful?

🔔 Follow us (Dave Kline and Marsden Kline) for more.
♻️ Share to help others lead with better questions.

taplio

The Battle

Alex Banks

Dave Kline

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance ScoreAlex Banks's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreDave Kline's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

The Battle

Alex Banks

Dave Kline

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Alex Banks's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreDave Kline's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreAlex Banks's LinkedIn Performance