CTO Seever Sulaiman on AI, Machine Learning, and the Virtual Economist | March 17, 2026

In this week's episode of Optimal Insights, Jim Glennon and CTO Seever Sulaiman discuss how Optimal Blue is deploying AI and machine learning across its platform, including a live demonstration of the newly unveiled Virtual Economist, a tool that combines large language model technology with four proprietary machine learning models to answer mortgage and economic questions in plain English.Alex Hebner and James Cahill open with a market update covering oil prices, inflation risk, the ROAD to Housing Act, and Powell's final FOMC meeting. They share their expert opinions and insight into how these factors are shaping the industry and the broader economic landscape.Key PointsThe market update covers rising oil prices from the Iran conflict, inflation risk above 3%, a halved Q4 GDP reading, and the ROAD to Housing Act passing the Senate 89 to 10Optimal Blue's Virtual Economist combines generative AI with four proprietary machine learning models to answer complex mortgage and economic questions in plain EnglishOptimal Blue has deployed more than 12 AI agents into its platform, with a focus on increasing development capacity without reducing headcountHuman oversight remains non-negotiable for AI-assisted code in financial engineering environmentsOptimal Insights Team:Jim Glennon, Senior Vice President of Hedging and Trading OperationsAlex Hebner, Hedge Account ManagerJames Cahill, MSF/MSR Account ManagerSpecial Guest:Seever Sulaiman, Chief Technology Officer, Optimal BlueProduction Team:Executive Producer: Sara HoltzProducer: Matt GilhoolyCommentary included in the podcast shall not be construed as, nor is Optimal Insights providing, any legal, trading, hedging, or financial advice.Mentioned in this episode:Optimal Blue Study - MarketWise AdvisorsMortgage capital markets decisions have a direct impact on lender profitability, efficiency, and risk management. To better understand that impact, Optimal Blue commissioned an independent ROI study with MarketWise Advisors, analyzing data from hundreds of mortgage lenders, including banks, credit unions, and independent mortgage banks. The Optimal Blue ROI Study highlights consistent gains in operational efficiency, pricing accuracy, and financial performance for lenders using Optimal Blue technology. Key findings include an average $1,006 net financial benefit per loan, nearly 45% greater operational capacity, and strong return on investment reported by PPE clients, with results consistent across lender types. The full 2026 Optimal Blue ROI Study will be released in May and provides a data‑driven look at how mortgage capital markets technology can support better execution and decision‑making. 👉 Sign up to be notified when the full report is released: OptimalBlue.com/2026-study ROI Study