IBM and OpenAI are joining forces in a deal aimed at bringing advanced AI to more large businesses. The partnership gives OpenAI another major route into the enterprise market. 

It also gives IBM access to OpenAI’s latest AI models as the company works to help businesses put AI into everyday operations.

The companies announced the partnership on August 13, 2026, although financial terms were not disclosed.

The deal will center around IBM Consulting and will create a dedicated OpenAI practice. 

It will also train and certify tens of thousands of consultants on OpenAI technologies in the coming months.

That could make the partnership bigger than a simple software deal. IBM has consultants working with businesses around the world. 

Those consultants can help companies decide where AI fits, build new systems, and put those systems into daily use.

AI Consultants

IBM will retrain many of its existing employees rather than relying only on new hires. The training will cover several OpenAI technologies. 

These include Codex, OpenAI’s API, cybersecurity tools, and consulting-focused solutions. IBM will also create specialized teams known as “Forward Deployed Experts.” 

These workers will receive training through the OpenAI Partner Network. Their job will be to work more closely with customers as they bring AI into real business processes.

This is significant because many companies are still trying to move beyond AI experiments. A business may have access to a powerful AI model. 

However, that does not mean it knows how to use the technology across finance, customer service, software development, human resources, or other departments.

That is where IBM wants to play a role.

Also read: OpenAI Will Pay Oracle $30B Per Year

OpenAI Models

IBM plans to integrate OpenAI’s latest models and products into IBM Consulting Advantage. The platform is designed to help IBM consultants deliver AI services to customers. 

The new partnership will add OpenAI models such as GPT-5.6, Codex, and ChatGPT Work.

IBM says the tools can help companies examine their existing workflows and find areas where AI could improve or automate work.

IBM says the technology can be used across areas such as finance, procurement, customer operations, and human resources. That points to a major change in enterprise AI.

Instead of using AI only to answer questions, companies are increasingly looking at ways to build it into the systems and processes that run their businesses.

Security 

IBM and OpenAI already began working together on cybersecurity earlier this year. In June, the companies announced the OpenAI Daybreak Cyber Partner Program.

That program focused on using advanced AI capabilities to support enterprise security work.

IBM said the partnership could help organizations identify risks and respond to threats more quickly.

The new agreement builds on that. IBM says OpenAI models will be integrated with IBM Autonomous Security, its cybersecurity service built around AI agents.

For large companies, this is an important area. Businesses want the benefits of advanced AI, but they also need controls around data, access, privacy, and security.

As a result, enterprise AI is becoming about more than model performance. Companies also want technology that can fit into complex systems without creating new risks.

Enterprise Partners

Building powerful models is important. But getting those models into large companies is becoming just as important.

Enterprise customers often need help with much more than buying access to an AI model. 

They may need system integration, employee training, security reviews, workflow changes, and ongoing support. Consulting firms can provide that missing link.

OpenAI has already been building relationships with large technology and consulting companies. 

Its partnerships with firms such as Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services show the same strategy.

These companies have large enterprise networks and teams that already understand how major organizations operate. IBM will then add another channel into the mix.

IBM 

IBM has its own Granite family of AI models. At the same time, the company has positioned itself as an integrator that can work with AI models from different providers.

Its watsonx platform is part of that strategy. The OpenAI partnership therefore does not mean IBM is abandoning its own AI technology. 

Instead, it adds another major model provider to IBM’s wider AI ecosystem. That could appeal to companies that do not want to depend on a single AI model or vendor.

Businesses have different needs. One model may work well for software development, while another may be better suited to a specific business task.

IBM can potentially help customers choose and combine different technologies based on those needs.

Revenue 

The company recently lowered its 2026 revenue forecast after reporting weaker-than-expected quarterly results. 

IBM Chief Executive Arvind Krishna has continued to describe AI as a long-term growth opportunity, however.

IBM is therefore looking for ways to turn growing interest in AI into actual business growth. The OpenAI partnership could help.

IBM already has a huge consulting operation and long-standing relationships with major companies. 

Adding OpenAI’s technology gives those consultants another set of tools to offer customers.

The company can then combine those tools with its own software, cloud services, security products, and industry expertise.