Watson is a supercomputer that’s designed to replicate a person’s ability to answer questions. It uses artificial intelligence to find solutions. Although developers initially conceived of this question-answering computer system to see if it could correctly solve Jeopardy! questions, they soon realized the supercomputer had applications far beyond the world of game shows. It can even function as its own search engine — but how? It’s programmed with over 6 million logic rules that it utilizes for processing about 200 million pages’ worth of information to find answers when someone poses a question. Watson represents a new frontier in machine learning.

Why should I learn about Watson?

Researching how IBM's Watson works, what roles it can serve and how its related services work in apps provides you with the basics you need to know before you move onto more intricate concepts in artificial intelligence. This supercomputer is a powerful model of the ways artificial intelligence can work for us. With an understanding of Watson in your proverbial toolkit, you’ll be better equipped to pursue a career as a computer scientist or use IBM Watson Analytics to provide new insights into information for industries as varied as retail and healthcare.

What career opportunities can arise from learning about Watson?

Learning Watson can lead to a career working with artificial intelligence, and AI and deep learning can keep you engaged and pursuing revolutionary concepts and outcomes each and every day. A variety of careers provide the introduction to AI that you’re looking for, too. Data analyst careers will have you working with the data and details computers need to process in order to “think” and determine outcomes the way a person would. A job in the field of user experience, which helps refine products so they’re easier for consumers to use, might see you integrating AI features into those products to make them more helpful. Traditionally, AI also involves plenty of software engineering, and this type of career in the computer science field may have you developing the programs that AI tools need to function.

How can taking online courses on Coursera help me learn about Watson?

Whether you’re interested in learning specifically about working with Watson or plan to use your new knowledge about the supercomputer as a springboard into a future career working with artificial intelligence, our online courses provide engaging materials and valuable support to help you achieve your goals. An introductory course on Watson can help you get familiar with the basics of how the supercomputer works and how you can apply its artificial intelligence principles to build smart apps. And if you’re already working as a data scientist, taking our online classes can build confidence as you learn to automate deep learning and apply your understanding of machine learning to prototype new AI models. Whether you’re just getting started or are already experienced with AI concepts, online courses help you explore your curiosity and learn marketable skills at your perfect pace.

Best Watson Courses & Certificates [2025]

Explore the Watson Course Catalog

Coursera Project Network
Building Smart Business Assistants with IBM Watson
Skills you'll gain: IBM Cloud, Self Service Technologies, Application Deployment, AI Personalization, Customer Inquiries, Customer Engagement, Cloud Computing, Customer Service, Natural Language Processing
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
465 reviews
Beginner · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours
Status: Free Trial
IBM
Machine Learning with Python
Skills you'll gain: Unsupervised Learning, Supervised Learning, Feature Engineering, Applied Machine Learning, Scikit Learn (Machine Learning Library), Machine Learning, Predictive Modeling, Dimensionality Reduction, Regression Analysis, Decision Tree Learning, Classification And Regression Tree (CART), Statistical Modeling
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
18K reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: New
Pearson
Skill Up with Python: Data Science and Machine Learning Recipes
Skills you'll gain: Pandas (Python Package), Web Scraping, Python Programming, Jupyter, Image Analysis, Text Mining, Data Manipulation, Computer Vision, Data Analysis, Natural Language Processing, Data Visualization Software, Data Science, Applied Machine Learning, Unstructured Data
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
Status: AI skills
IBM
IBM Data Science
Skills you'll gain: Exploratory Data Analysis, Data Wrangling, Dashboard, Data Visualization Software, Data Visualization, SQL, Unsupervised Learning, Plotly, Interactive Data Visualization, Peer Review, Supervised Learning, Data Transformation, Feature Engineering, Jupyter, Data Analysis, Data Cleansing, Data Literacy, Generative AI, Professional Networking, Data Import/Export
Build toward a degree
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
147K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
IBM
AI Foundations for Everyone: A Practical Intro for Beginners
Skills you'll gain: Prompt Engineering, Prompt Patterns, ChatGPT, Generative AI, IBM Cloud, Responsible AI, LLM Application, Workflow Management, Action Oriented, No-Code Development, Machine Learning Software, Business Workflow Analysis, Machine Learning, AI Product Strategy, Artificial Intelligence, Self Service Technologies, Application Deployment, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML), Deep Learning, Data Science
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
33K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Preview
IBM
Machine Learning Rapid Prototyping with IBM Watson Studio
Skills you'll gain: Feature Engineering, Data Transformation, Data Processing, Data Cleansing, Applied Machine Learning, MLOps (Machine Learning Operations), Predictive Modeling, Exploratory Data Analysis, Automation, Machine Learning Methods, Machine Learning, Scikit Learn (Machine Learning Library), Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML), Data Science, IBM Cloud, Python Programming, Performance Tuning
4.2
Rating, 4.2 out of 5 stars
15 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

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Start my career

Change my career

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Explore topics outside of work

Status: Free Trial
IBM
Introduction to Big Data with Spark and Hadoop
Skills you'll gain: Apache Hadoop, Apache Spark, PySpark, Apache Hive, Big Data, IBM Cloud, Kubernetes, Docker (Software), Scalability, Data Processing, Distributed Computing, Performance Tuning, Data Transformation, Debugging
4.4
Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
461 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
IBM
Python Project for Data Engineering
Skills you'll gain: Web Scraping, Data Transformation, Extract, Transform, Load, Data Manipulation, SQL, Integrated Development Environments, Data Processing, Databases, Application Programming Interface (API), Code Review, Restful API, Python Programming, Unit Testing, Style Guides
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
804 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: New
Status: Free Trial
AI CERTs
Securing the Assets: Bitcoin Security
Skills you'll gain: Blockchain, Threat Modeling, Cryptography, Security Testing, Security Engineering, Threat Management, Cybersecurity, Network Security, Data Security, Vulnerability Assessments, Threat Detection, Information Systems Security, Cyber Security Strategy, Key Management, Encryption, Network Protocols, Regulatory Compliance, Scripting, Financial Regulation, Scalability
Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: New
Status: Free Trial
AI CERTs
From Blocks to Build: Blockchain Dev Essentials
Skills you'll gain: Blockchain, Web Development Tools, Software Development Tools, Application Development, Computer Programming Tools, Go (Programming Language), Development Environment, Software Development, Business Logic, Program Development, Digital Assets, Transaction Processing, FinTech, Virtual Machines, Distributed Computing, Cryptography, Emerging Technologies, Encryption, Business Analysis, Market Dynamics
Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
IBM
IBM AI Enterprise Workflow
Skills you'll gain: Feature Engineering, Data Ethics, Exploratory Data Analysis, Unsupervised Learning, Data Presentation, Tensorflow, Application Deployment, Dimensionality Reduction, MLOps (Machine Learning Operations), Probability Distribution, Apache Spark, Statistical Hypothesis Testing, Supervised Learning, Data Visualization Software, Data Pipelines, Design Thinking, Unit Testing, Data Science, Machine Learning, Python Programming
4.4
Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
349 reviews
Advanced · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
Status: New
Status: Free Trial
AI CERTs
From Blocks to Code: Bitcoin Developer Essentials
Skills you'll gain: Blockchain, Threat Modeling, Application Deployment, Scripting, Cryptography, Cryptographic Protocols, Application Security, Scalability, Software Development, Payment Systems, FinTech, Secure Coding, Software Development Tools, Distributed Computing, Computer Programming, Transaction Processing, Emerging Technologies, Business Analysis, Market Dynamics, Finance
Intermediate · Specialization · 1 - 3 Months