IBM partners with OpenAI to bolster enterprise AI push

IBM on Thursday announced its partnership with OpenAI to bring the AI company’s models and tools to more enterprise customers, opening another avenue for OpenAI to connect with some of the world’s largest companies through IBM’s global consulting business as competition for corporate AI spending intensifies.

The deal, terms of which were not disclosed, comes less than a year after IBM announced a similar alliance with Anthropic. OpenAI and IBM will jointly market AI offerings and develop industry-specific solutions for sectors including financial services, government, telecommunications, and retail, IBM said.

Under the agreement, IBM will establish a dedicated OpenAI practice within IBM Consulting and train and certify tens of thousands of consultants — primarily retraining existing employees — on OpenAI’s technologies over the next several months, Mike Healy, managing partner at IBM Consulting, told TechCrunch.

The training will focus on OpenAI’s Codex, API, cybersecurity, and consultative solution credentials. IBM will also create a group of specialized “Forward Deployed Experts” trained through OpenAI’s Partner Network, Healy said.

IBM said that it would integrate OpenAI’s latest models, including GPT-5.6, Codex, and ChatGPT Work, into IBM Consulting Advantage, its AI platform for consultants, to help clients deploy AI across core business operations.