IBM and Pearson have announced a global partnership to develop new AI-powered learning products aimed at businesses, public organizations, and educational institutions worldwide. The collaboration responds to growing skills mismatches and inefficient career transitions, which Pearson estimates cost the US economy $1.1 trillion annually, as organizations and individuals seek faster, more relevant ways to reskill in an AI-driven economy.

The partners will build personalized learning tools using IBM’s watsonx Orchestrate and watsonx Governance, and IBM will support Pearson in creating a custom AI-powered learning platform that combines human expertise with AI assistants and agents. As part of the agreement, IBM becomes Pearson’s primary strategic partner for customer upskilling and workforce transformation, giving IBM customers and employees access to Pearson solutions such as Credly digital credentials, Faethm workforce planning, and professional certification assessments.

IBM and Pearson will also explore tools to verify and govern AI agents, combining IBM’s responsible AI capabilities with Pearson’s expertise in skills and credentials. Both companies said the partnership supports Pearson’s strategy of deeper alliances with select partners and aims to embed learning directly into the flow of work, improving productivity, adaptability, and long-term workforce resilience.