AI is no longer a software story. Matt O’Brien, CEO of Snow Crash Labs, argues that as enterprises rush to deploy more capable models, the real risk is no longer whether AI works, but whether it has been tested well enough not to turn on the companies using it.

TAMPA BAY, Fla., April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The AI race is no longer decided by models alone. On this episode of Disruption Interruption podcast, host Karla Jo Helms (KJ) speaks with Matt O’Brien, CEO of Snow Crash Labs, about why the U.S. is falling behind China in the electricity needed to power next-generation models, why enterprises can no longer afford to deploy AI without rigorous quality control, and why, as O’Brien puts it, “AI has become just as much of an infrastructure problem as it is a technology problem.”

Industry Is Moving Faster Than Its Safeguards

For O’Brien, the deeper problem is that AI capability is scaling predictably with compute and power, which means the race is now constrained by physical infrastructure as much as by software. In the episode, he explains that the U.S. would need to add at least 20 gigawatts of power to the grid every year through 2030 just to keep pace with expected data-center buildout, while China added roughly 430 gigawatts in a single year. “The AI models are grown like a garden, not built like a skyscraper,” he says, and the “water” they need is data-center compute.

That infrastructure gap becomes even more dangerous because model behavior is getting riskier at the same time. O’Brien points to the now well-known Anthropic case, where a pre-quality-control Claude Opus 4 attempted blackmail in 96% of the time when it had leverage over a user. He adds that by mid-2025, behaviors like scheming, gaslighting, and other “nefarious activities” were appearing in models about 30% of the time, up from roughly 5% in late 2024. In his view, the issue is not that models are malicious, but that they are becoming smart enough to discover routes to accomplish goals that are unethical, illegal, or damaging to the enterprise using them.

Some companies understand this risk, especially in highly regulated sectors or where sensitive healthcare and financial data are involved, but many still do not. “The market isn’t as prepared for this problem as it needs to be,” O’Brien says. This creates a dangerous asymmetry: AI adoption is accelerating faster than AI literacy, while legal, compliance, and reputational risks continue to grow.

Quality Control Before Deployment

O’Brien’s solution is to treat AI more like a regulated product than a magic trick. Snow Crash Labs tests models for alignment failures, unsafe behaviors, and quality defects before companies deploy them at scale. “We test the models to see if they have gone through a quality control process,” he says. “Because if they haven’t, the consequences can be quite severe.” That means crash-testing models for behaviors such as blackmail, bias, privacy violations, or illegal goal-seeking, and then routing enterprise requests to safer models when needed.

His analogy makes the stakes clear: “Imagine going to a supermarket without the FDA. Is that steak going to be okay? That’s what it’s like deploying AI without quality control.” In O’Brien’s view, the next major AI market is not just building more powerful models. It is making them trustworthy enough for the real economy.

That is why he believes AI literacy will determine which companies survive the next phase of adoption. “The best future for everyone is if literacy did develop in these large enterprises before they were outcompeted by AI-literate startups,” he says. The upside, in his view, is not fear-driven retreat. It is responsible adoption: quality-controlled models, fewer enterprise disasters, and a path for companies to keep using the best AI available without betting the business on blind trust.

Links

Disrupting AI Security: The End of the “Safe” AI Pilot with Matt O’Brien

Disruption Interruption is the podcast where you will hear from today’s biggest Industry Disruptors. Learn what motivated them to bring about innovation and how they overcame opposition to adoption.

https://omny.fm/shows/disruption-interruption/disrupting-ai-security-the-end-of-the-safe-ai-pilot-with-matt-o-brien

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-o-brien-98318369/
Company Website: http://www.snowcrashlabs.com/

About Disruption Interruption™
Disruption is happening on an unprecedented scale, impacting all manner of industries — MedTech, Finance, IT, eCommerce, shipping, logistics, and more — and COVID has moved their timelines up a full decade or more. But WHO are these disruptors and when did they say, “THAT’S IT! I’VE HAD IT!”? Time to Disrupt and Interrupt with host Karla Jo “KJ” Helms, veteran communications disruptor. KJ interviews badasses who are disrupting their industries and altering economic networks that have become antiquated with an establishment resistant to progress. She delves into uncovering secrets from industry rebels and quiet revolutionaries that uncover common traits — and not-so-common — that are changing our economic markets… and lives. Visit the world’s key pioneers that persist to success, despite arrows in their backs at www.disruption-interruption.com.

About Matt O’Brien

Matt O’Brien is CEO of SnowCrash Labs, where he is building AI quality-control and security infrastructure for enterprises deploying advanced models at scale. A former corporate attorney and current Techstars mentor, O’Brien combines legal, engineering, and operational experience to help companies test AI systems for alignment failures, unsafe behavior, and other defects before they reach production. He holds a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law and a B.S. from Lehigh University in logistics, materials, and supply chain management.

Before founding SnowCrash Labs in 2025, O’Brien practiced corporate law at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman and Nelson Mullins and earlier worked with startup and engineering teams on product, supply chain, and market-development challenges. In the podcast, he says he has followed AI progress for about a decade and launched SnowCrash Labs after recognizing that advanced models were beginning to affect white-collar work at scale. Today, his focus is making AI adoption safer, more scalable, and more trustworthy for the companies relying on it.

About Karla Jo Helms
Karla Jo Helms is the Chief Evangelist and Anti-PR® Strategist for JOTO PR Disruptors™. Karla Jo learned firsthand how unforgiving business can be when millions of dollars are on the line — and how the control of public opinion often determines whether one company is happily chosen, or another is brutally rejected. Being an alumnus of crisis management, Karla Jo has worked with litigation attorneys, private investigators, and the media to help restore companies of goodwill into the good graces of public opinion — Karla Jo operates on the ethic of getting it right the first time, not relying on second chances and doing what it takes to excel. Helms speaks globally on public relations, how the PR industry itself has lost its way, and how, in the right hands, corporations can harness the power of Anti-PR to drive markets and impact market perception.

References

LIMRA, & Life Happens. (2024, April 15). U.S. life insurance need gap grows in 2024. limra.com/en/newsroom/news-releases/2024/u.s.-life-insurance-need-gap-grows-in-2024/LIMRA. (2026, March 3). Double-digit growth drives individual life insurance new premium to set new sales record in 2025. limra.com/en/newsroom/news-releases/2026/limra-double-digit-growth-drives-individual-life-insurance-new-premium-to-set-new-sales-record-in-2025/Optifino. (2025, September 29). Optifino and Covr announce deal to transform life insurance distribution. optifino.com/optifino-and-covr-announce-deal-to-transform-life-insurance-distribution/

Media Inquiries:
Karla Jo Helms
JOTO PR™
727-777-4629

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SOURCE Disruption Interruption

One of Europe’s fastest-growing education companies — ranked 156th in the FT 1000 — announces a curriculum partnership with MIT’s RAISE initiative, offering teenagers AI literacy credentials in Oxford this summer.

OXFORD, England, April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Oxford Royale Academy, one of Europe’s fastest-growing education companies, has announced a partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to bring AI literacy education to international summer school students this year.

The collaboration will see students at Oxford Royale’s programmes in Oxford complete the MIT RAISE FutureBuilders pathway — a structured AI education curriculum developed by MIT’s Responsible AI for Social Empowerment and Education (RAISE) initiative in partnership with Pharos Education. Students who complete the programme will receive an official MIT RAISE certificate.

Oxford Royale hosts more than 3,000 students from over 175 countries each summer, offering university-style academic programmes at colleges in Oxford. The partnership introduces a formal AI curriculum strand to its existing academic offering for the first time.

The announcement follows Oxford Royale’s inclusion in the Financial Times’ FT 1000: Europe’s Fastest Growing Companies 2026, in which the organisation ranked 156th across the continent.

IN THEIR WORDS

“The future will be led by those who understand technology and know how to harness it responsibly. Our collaboration with MIT’s RAISE initiative and Pharos Education gives students the opportunity to explore artificial intelligence at an early stage — not simply as a tool, but as a force that will shape the careers, industries and societies they inherit.”

— Andy Palmer, Chief Executive Officer, Oxford Royale Academy

“The MIT RAISE FutureBuilders programme has a clear objective: to transform the next generation from consumers of technology into AI builders. Oxford Royale’s student body — drawn from more than 175 countries — makes this one of the most internationally diverse cohorts we have worked with.”

— Felipe Arango, Chief Executive Officer, Pharos Education

BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT

Artificial intelligence has risen sharply up the agenda of schools, universities and policymakers in recent years, driven by the rapid commercial deployment of large language models and other AI systems. A number of governments have introduced national strategies for AI education, while surveys of employers consistently highlight AI literacy as among the most valued skills for new entrants to the workforce.

Despite this, structured AI education at secondary level remains limited in most countries. Oxford Royale’s adoption of the MIT RAISE pathway is intended to help close that gap, giving students aged 13–18 exposure to both the technical principles and ethical dimensions of AI before they reach university.

MIT RAISE describes its mission as promoting AI literacy and ethical understanding among young learners worldwide. Programmes developed by the initiative aim to equip students to engage with artificial intelligence thoughtfully, with particular attention to questions of fairness, accountability and the societal implications of automated systems.

Oxford Royale was founded in 2004 by Oxford graduate William Humphreys. Since launch, more than 50,000 students from over 175 countries have attended its programmes.

NOTES TO EDITORS

Programme Dates and Availability

The summer programme will run across two sessions: 5th July to 18th July and 19th July to 1st August 2026. There are a total of 60 places available across both sessions.

About Oxford Royale Academy

Oxford Royale Academy is a leading international education company offering academic summer school programmes at colleges in Oxford, UK, and at campuses worldwide. Founded in 2004, Oxford Royale has welcomed more than 50,000 students from over 175 countries. The organisation was ranked 156th in the Financial Times FT 1000: Europe’s Fastest Growing Companies 2026. Further information is available at oxfordroyale.com.

About MIT RAISE

MIT RAISE (Responsible AI for Social Empowerment and Education) is a global initiative based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology dedicated to expanding access to AI literacy education. Its FutureBuilders programme provides structured pathways for young learners to develop skills in artificial intelligence, with an emphasis on ethical and responsible use.

About Pharos Education

Pharos Education is an education technology company that develops and delivers AI learning programmes in partnership with leading academic institutions. Pharos is the delivery partner for the MIT RAISE FutureBuilders curriculum.

SOURCE Oxford Royale

Typical home generated a 44.1 percent return on investment in first quarter; National median sales price stayed level quarter-over-quarter at $360,000

IRVINE, Calif., April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ATTOM, the leading provider of property data, AI-powered analytics, and real estate intelligence solutions, today released its latest U.S. Home Sales Report, which shows that homeowners made a 44.1 percent profit on typical single-family home and condo sales during the first quarter of 2026. That was down from 47.2 percent in the previous quarter and from 50.2 percent in the first quarter of 2025.

That 44.1 percent profit margin is the lowest since the first quarter of 2021, continuing a gradual decline from the recent peak of 63.5 percent in the second quarter of 2022.  Despite the drop, margins remain historically high compared to pre-pandemic levels.

Home prices held steady quarter-over-quarter at $360,000 but were up 3 percent year-over-year from $350,000 in the first quarter of 2025.

Nationwide, the typical single-family home or condo sold for a raw profit of $110,100 in the first quarter of 2025, down 5 percent from the previous quarter and 6 percent from the same time last year.

“The first quarter is typically a slower sales season and that was compounded this year by rising mortgage rates,” said Rob Barber, CEO of ATTOM. “After the record high home prices we saw last summer, prices appear to be leveling out.”

“The profit margins sellers enjoyed over the last few years, which were consistently over 50 percent, were unusual,” he added. “But even with the most recent dip, margins are still well above the 30 percent return on investment sellers were seeing before the pandemic.”

Profit margins drop in Florida metros, rise in several Midwest metros
Seller profit margins fell quarter-over-quarter in 74.2 percent (95) of the 128 metropolitan statistical areas in ATTOM’s analysis. Metro areas were included in the report if they had more than 1,000 home sales in the first quarter of 2026 and sufficient data to analyze. Profit margins fell year-over-year in 82.8 percent (106) of the metros.

The metro areas with the largest annual falloffs in home sale profit margins were Ocala, FL (down from 119.4 percent in the first quarter of 2025 to 58.1 percent in the first quarter of 2026); Punta Gorda, FL (down from 78.9 percent to 54.3 percent); Lakeland, FL (down from 62.2 percent to 38 percent); North Port-Sarasota, FL (down from 57.9 percent to 35.5 percent); and Prescott, AZ (down from 69.4 percent to 47.1 percent).

The metros that saw the largest annual increases in profit margins were Flint, MI (up from 65.5 percent to 81.8 percent); Evansville, IN (up from 40.9 percent to 53.5 percent); Lansing, MI (up from 48 percent to 57.8 percent); Canton, OH (up from 55.5 percent to 60.2 percent); and Syracuse, NY (up from 67.6 percent to 72 percent).

Among metro areas with populations of at least 1 million, the largest annual drop-offs in profit margins were in Raleigh, NC (down from 49.8 percent to 33.1 percent); San Jose, CA (down from 88.5 percent to 74.8 percent); San Diego, CA (down from 69.4 percent to 56.6 percent); Sacramento, CA (down from 57.5 percent to 45.1 percent); and Buffalo, NY (down from 82.5 percent to 70.3 percent).

Margins remain low in major Texas cities
Of the 128 metros in ATTOM’s analysis, 37.5 percent (48) had typical home sale profit margins exceeding 50 percent in the first quarter.

Among metros with populations of at least 1 million, the largest typical profit margins were in San Jose, CA (74.8 percent); Hartford, CT (72.4 percent); Providence, RI (71.9 percent); Rochester, NY (70.5 percent); and Buffalo, NY (70.3 percent).

The lowest profit margins among those largest metros were in New Orleans, LA (14 percent); San Antonio, TX (19.9 percent); Houston, TX (25.4 percent); Dallas, TX (27.4 percent); and Austin, TX (27.4 percent).

Western cities boast highest profits in raw dollars
Nationwide, the typical home sale in the first quarter of 2026 generated $110,100 in raw profit.

Among metro areas with populations of at least 1 million, the largest year-over-year growth in raw profits were Birmingham, AL (up 16.9 percent); Honolulu, HI (up 13.9 percent); Detroit, MI (up 13.3 percent); Hartford, CT (up 7.1 percent); and Philadelphia, PA (up 6.8 percent).

The metros with populations of at least 1 million with the largest typical raw profits in the first quarter of 2026 were San Jose, CA ($652,500); San Francisco, CA ($375,00); Los Angeles, CA ($332,875); San Diego, CA ($320,000); and Seattle, WA ($284,450).

Of all metros analyzed, the smallest typical raw profits were in Beaumont, TX ($23,578); New Orleans, LA ($30,000); Killeen, TX ($33,415); Davenport, IA ($42,000); and Baton Rouge, LA ($44,000)

Median home prices rose in more than two thirds of metros
The national median home sales price held steady between the fourth quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026 at $360,000, but the median sales prices rose annually in 68.2 percent (88) of the 129 metropolitan statistical areas with sufficient data to analyze.

The metro areas with the largest year-over-year increases in median sales prices were Birmingham, AL (up 17.5 percent); Detroit, MI (up 17.2 percent); Augusta, GA (up 12.5 percent); Syracuse, NY (up 11.8 percent); and Madison, WI (up 11.8 percent).

The metros with the largest year-over-year drops in median sales prices were Cape Coral, FL (down 9 percent); Durham, NC (down 8.7 percent); Austin, TX (down 7.2 percent); San Francisco, CA (down 7.2 percent); and Ocala, FL (down 7.2 percent).

Historical Median Home Sales Prices

Homeownership tenure drops slightly nationwide
Owners who sold their homes in the first quarter of 2026 had held them for an average of 8.44 years, down slightly from the 8.46-year tenure for homes sold in the fourth quarter of 2025.

The metros with the longest average homeownership tenure—the time between purchase and sale—for homes sold in the first quarter of 2026 were Barnstable, MA (14.97 years); Napa, CA (12.65 years); Springfield, MA (12.64 years); Santa Rosa, CA (12.56 years); and San Francisco, CA (12.41 years).

The metros with the shortest homeownership tenures for homes sold in the first quarter of 2026 were Kansas City, MO (6.9 years); Provo, UT (7.07 years); San Antonio, TX (7.17 years); Oklahoma City, OK (7.24 years); and Panama City, FL (7.25 years).

Average U.S. Homeownership Tenure

Share of homes sold by lenders grows
In the first quarter of 2026, homes sold by banks or other lenders account for 1.6 percent of all home sales nationwide, up from 1.3 percent the previous quarter and 1.5 percent at the same time last year.

Among metro areas with sufficient data to analyze, the markets with the highest share of lender-owned sales were New Orleans, LA (4.9 percent); St. Louis, MO (4.8 percent); Baton Rouge, LA (4.6 percent); Chicago, IL (4.4 percent); and Davenport, IA (4.4 percent).

The metros with the smallest share of lender-owned sales were Los Angeles, CA (0.6 percent); Las Vegas, NV (0.8 percent); Seattle, WA (0.8 percent); Denver, CO (0.8 percent); and Phoenix, AZ (0.9 percent)

All-cash transactions down year-over-year
Nationwide, 41.7 percent of home sales were completed in all-cash transactions, down from 42.4 percent at the same time last year.

Among metros with sufficient data to analyze for the first quarter of 2026, the markets with the highest rates of all-cash sales (as a percentage of total sales) were Honolulu, HI (76.5 percent); Hilo, HI (74.2 percent); Athens, GA (67.6 percent); Naples, FL (66.6 percent); and Utica, NY (61.6 percent).

The metros with the smallest shares of all-cash sales were Vallejo, CA (23.2 percent); Bremerton, WA (23.3 percent); Olympia, WA (23.7 percent); Kennewick, WA (24.7 percent); and Cedar Rapids, IA (25.1 percent).

Institutional buyers scoop up smaller share of homes
In the first quarter of 2026, homes sold to institutional investors accounted for 6.6 percent of all homes sold nationwide, down from 6.8 percent at the same time last year.

The metro areas with the largest shares of homes sold to institutional investors (as a percentage of all sales) were Mobile, AL (15 percent); Memphis, TN (14.8 percent); Boise City, ID (14.4 percent); Salisbury, MD (13.4 percent); and Huntsville, AL (12.4 percent).

The metros with the smallest shares of homes sold to institutional investors were Honolulu, HI (2.4 percent); Naples, FL (2.7 percent); New Orleans, LA (3.1 percent); Providence, RI (3.1 percent); and New York, NY (3.3 percent).

Historical Home Sales by Type

FHA-backed purchases at four-year low
Buyers using Federal Housing Administration loans purchased 7.4 percent of all homes sold nationwide in the first quarter of 2026, the lowest rate since the second quarter of 2022.

The metro areas with the highest proportion of sales involving FHA loans were Merced, CA (24.9 percent); Laredo, TX (21.8 percent); Visalia, CA (20.3 percent); Bakersfield, CA (19.7 percent); and Modesto, CA (17.9 percent).

Conclusion
Seller profit margins fell in the first quarter of 2026 as mortgage rates rose and home prices held steady after several quarters of record-breaking growth. While typical returns on home sales have continued to trend downward from their 2022 peak, they remain well above pre-pandemic levels, indicating that the market is normalizing but still historically strong.

Report methodology
The ATTOM U.S. Home Sales Report provides percentages of REO sales and all sales that are sold to institutional investors and cash buyers, at the state and metropolitan statistical area. Data is also available at the county and zip code level, upon request. The data is derived from recorded sales deeds, foreclosure filings and loan data. Statistics for previous quarters are revised when each new report is issued as more deed data becomes available.

Definitions
All-cash purchase: sale where no loan is recorded at the time of sale and where ATTOM has coverage of loan data.

Homeownership tenure: for a given market and given quarter, the average time between the most recent sale date and the previous sale date, expressed in years.

Home seller price gains: the difference between the median sales price of homes in a given market in a given quarter and the median sales price of the previous sale of those same homes, expressed both in a dollar amount and as a percentage of the previous median sales price.

Institutional investor purchases: residential property sales to non-lending entities that purchased at least 10 properties in a calendar year.

REO sale: a sale of a property that occurs while the property is actively bank owned (REO).

About ATTOM
ATTOM delivers AI-driven property intelligence built on one of the nation’s most trusted property data assets, covering 158 million U.S. properties—99% of the population. Our engineered, multi-sourced real estate data spans property tax, deeds, mortgages, foreclosure, environmental risk, property conditions, natural hazards, neighborhood insights, and geospatial boundaries, rigorously validated for advanced analytics. ATTOM supports analytics and AI-driven applications through flexible delivery options including APIs, bulk licensing, cloud delivery, market trend products, and the MCP Server for AI-powered, agentic access to engineered property data—enabling organizations to automate analysis and scale property intelligence across industries.

Media Contact:
Megan Hunt
megan.hunt@attomdata.com 

Data and Report Licensing:
datareports@attomdata.com

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SOURCE ATTOM