IBM and OpenAI forge enterprise AI partnership to integrate models into consulting services

IBM has announced a strategic partnership with OpenAI to integrate the artificial intelligence company’s models and tools into its enterprise consulting services. Under the agreement, IBM will establish a dedicated OpenAI practice within IBM Consulting and train tens of thousands of consultants on technologies including GPT-5.6, Codex, and ChatGPT Work.

The companies will jointly market AI offerings and develop industry-specific solutions for sectors such as financial services, government, telecommunications, and retail. Mike Healy, managing partner at IBM Consulting, stated that the training would focus on OpenAI’s Codex, API, cybersecurity, and consultative solution credentials, with the majority of the workforce being retrained existing employees.

IBM will also create a group of specialized “Forward Deployed Experts” trained through OpenAI’s Partner Network. The company plans to integrate OpenAI’s latest models into IBM Consulting Advantage, its AI platform for consultants, to assist clients in deploying AI across core business operations.

This partnership expands a previous cybersecurity-focused collaboration, specifically integrating OpenAI’s models with IBM’s Autonomous Security service. The deal comes less than a year after IBM announced a similar alliance with Anthropic, underscoring its model-agnostic strategy that combines its own Granite family of AI models with third-party offerings via its watsonx platform.

The agreement arrives as IBM seeks to accelerate growth in its AI business after lowering its 2026 revenue forecast last month following weaker-than-expected quarterly results. Chief Executive Arvind Krishna maintained during the last earnings call that AI adoption complements, rather than replaces, demand for IBM’s mainframe business.