Optimal Blue announced the general availability of Virtual Economist, the mortgage industry's first AI/ML-powered forecasting tool, and launched the Optimal Blue AI Labs. The announcement was made on Aug. 10, 2026, in Plano, Texas. Virtual Economist, first revealed in beta at the annual Optimal Blue Summit in February 2026, is now available to all Optimal Blue Product, Pricing, and Eligibility (PPE) Engine and CompassEdge clients at no added cost. The tool combines public economic data with Optimal Blue’s proprietary lock volume data, which reflects more than 35% of all mortgages locked nationwide, into machine learning models to deliver real-time rate and market volume forecasts and instant scenario analysis. Users can explore scenarios related to interest rates, including the 10-year Treasury, MBS spread, and Primary-Secondary Spread (PSS), and can personalize their experience by selecting an AI avatar economist with voice- and text-based engagement. Erin Wester, chief product officer at Optimal Blue, said the tool facilitates an actual conversation with data, providing forecasts and the ability to understand drivers and ask follow-up questions in real time. The Optimal Blue AI Labs were also launched to support the company’s internal AI efforts and deliver trusted AI capabilities for mortgage lenders.