IBM partners with Pearson to build AI learning tools

IBM and Pearson formed a global partnership to build personalized learning products powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) for businesses, public organizations, and educational institutions, a move the companies said addressed a need for more relevant ways to learn new skills.

Pearson research found inefficient career transitions and skills mismatches would cost the US economy $1.1 trillion in lost earnings annually, and the announcement framed faster, more relevant learning as necessary as AI reshaped how people worked and learned.

The collaboration planned to use watsonx Orchestrate and watsonx Governance, which the release said would be available globally, and to create a custom AI-powered learning platform modeled on IBM Consulting Advantage that combined human expertise with AI assistants, agents, and assets to support workflows, productivity, and data-driven decision-making.

As IBM's primary strategic partner for customer upskilling and workforce transformation, the arrangement covered access for IBM customers and IBM's 270,000 employees to Pearson enterprise solutions, including Credly for digital credentialing, Faethm for strategic workforce planning, and Pearson Professional Assessments, which delivered IBM professional certification exams globally; the companies also said they would explore tools to verify AI agent capabilities.

“Technology is evolving faster than human skills can keep pace. To close this gap, learning must be embedded seamlessly into the flow of work. When people learn where work happens, it has an immediate impact on productivity and performance,” said Omar Abbosh, CEO of Pearson. “Whether you're leading a company or just graduating, everyone needs to build new skills for the AI era,” said Arvind Krishna, CEO of IBM. “IBM and Pearson are bringing AI-powered education to more organizations to help people learn faster. Together, we're helping companies and their teams adapt to change and succeed, while helping Pearson transform its own internal operations.”

Statements regarding IBM's and Pearson's future direction and intent were presented as goals and objectives only and were noted as subject to change or withdrawal without notice.