IBM and OpenAI have partnered to help businesses deploy advanced AI across their operations, bringing OpenAI’s models into IBM’s consulting and enterprise technology services.
Under the partnership, IBM will integrate OpenAI’s frontier models, including GPT-5.6, into IBM Consulting’s AI delivery platform and related tools. The companies said the partnership will help businesses use AI for application modernisation, cybersecurity and other core operations.
IBM will also create specialised teams trained through OpenAI’s Partner Network to help businesses identify where AI can be used and deploy it within their existing systems.
The partnership comes as many companies move beyond experimenting with AI chatbots and begin looking for ways to use AI in their day-to-day operations. For large businesses, that process can be more complicated because their systems often include older software, large amounts of internal data and strict security requirements.
IBM said its consultants will work with customers to redesign workflows and integrate AI into existing business processes. The company will also establish a dedicated OpenAI Practice within IBM Consulting to support these projects.
The companies are targeting areas beyond simple content generation. Businesses will be able to explore AI applications for updating older software, identifying cybersecurity risks and automating parts of complex internal processes.
OpenAI has been expanding its network of consulting and technology partners as it tries to increase the use of its AI models among large businesses. In June, the company launched its OpenAI Partner Network and said it would invest $150 million in the programme, with a goal of training 300,000 certified consultants by the end of 2026.
IBM’s partnership with OpenAI builds on an existing relationship between the two companies.
In June, IBM joined OpenAI’s Daybreak Cyber Partner Program and introduced an application security service that uses OpenAI models to help organisations identify potential vulnerabilities in their software.
The latest partnership expands that relationship into broader enterprise AI deployment.
For IBM, the agreement gives its consulting business access to OpenAI’s latest models as it helps large organisations adopt AI. For OpenAI, working with IBM provides access to the company’s large enterprise customer base and decades of experience implementing technology for major businesses.
The partnership also highlights how the enterprise AI market is changing. Companies are no longer only asking which AI model can generate the best response. They are increasingly looking for technology that can work securely with their existing systems and help employees use AI in practical ways.
IBM and OpenAI are betting that combining AI models with enterprise consulting and implementation experience can help businesses make that transition.