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, Artificial Intelligence, Customer Inquiries, Customer Engagement, Cloud Computing, Customer Service, Natural Language Processing
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
464 reviews
Beginner · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours
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, Python Programming, Performance Tuning
4.2
Rating, 4.2 out of 5 stars
15 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
IBM
IBM AI Developer
Skills you'll gain: Prompt Engineering, Software Development Life Cycle, Large Language Modeling, Responsive Web Design, Software Architecture, ChatGPT, Development Environment, Flask (Web Framework), Generative AI, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), Unit Testing, Jupyter, Software Design, Software Development Tools, Software Engineering, Program Development, Python Programming, Engineering Software, Machine Learning, Data Science
Build toward a degree
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
72K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
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, Data Transformation, Supervised Learning, Jupyter, Data Analysis, Data Cleansing, Data Manipulation, Data Literacy, Data Mining, Matplotlib, Generative AI, Professional Networking
Build toward a degree
4.6
Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
145K reviews
Beginner · Professional Certificate · 3 - 6 Months
Status: Free Trial
IBM
AI Foundations for Everyone
Skills you'll gain: Prompt Engineering, ChatGPT, Generative AI, OpenAI, Workflow Management, Machine Learning, Application Deployment, Large Language Modeling, IBM Cloud, Artificial Intelligence, Program Development, Natural Language Processing, Deep Learning, Business Process Automation, Automation, Customer Service, Content Creation, Market Opportunities, Image Analysis, Data Science
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
29K reviews
Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months
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
448 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months

What brings you to Coursera today?

Start my career

Change my career

Grow in my current role

Explore topics outside of work

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
789 reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
IBM
Developing AI Applications with Python and Flask
Skills you'll gain: Flask (Web Framework), Unit Testing, Application Deployment, Software Development Life Cycle, Python Programming, IBM Cloud, Artificial Intelligence, Web Applications, Application Programming Interface (API), Integrated Development Environments, Restful API, Programming Principles, Style Guides
4.4
Rating, 4.4 out of 5 stars
1.2K reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
IBM
Generative AI: Foundation Models and Platforms
Skills you'll gain: Generative AI, OpenAI, Large Language Modeling, ChatGPT, Prompt Engineering, IBM Cloud, Tensorflow, Artificial Intelligence, Artificial Neural Networks, Deep Learning, Natural Language Processing, Computing Platforms
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
230 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
IBM
Generative AI for Executives and Business Leaders
Skills you'll gain: Prompt Engineering, Risk Mitigation, Generative AI, Risk Analysis, Feasibility Studies, Data Ethics, Brainstorming, Generative AI Agents, Business Priorities, Return On Investment, Data Strategy, Business Leadership, Goal Setting, Artificial Intelligence, Business Solutions, Ideation, Business Strategy, Scalability, Business Transformation, Business Ethics
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
509 reviews
Intermediate · Specialization · 1 - 4 Weeks
Status: Free Trial
IBM
Machine Learning with Python
Skills you'll gain: Unsupervised Learning, Supervised Learning, Regression Analysis, Scikit Learn (Machine Learning Library), Applied Machine Learning, Predictive Modeling, Machine Learning Algorithms, Machine Learning, Dimensionality Reduction, Python Programming, Statistical Analysis, Classification And Regression Tree (CART), Feature Engineering
4.7
Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
18K reviews
Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months
Status: Free Trial
IBM
Introduction to R Programming for Data Science
Skills you'll gain: Data Manipulation, Web Scraping, R Programming, Data Analysis, Data Science, Data Structures, Data Import/Export, Exploratory Data Analysis, Programming Principles, Jupyter, Integrated Development Environments
4.5
Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
574 reviews
Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months