IBM CEO: Openness, Software Growth Key to AI Win

At IBM Think 2026, CEO Arvind Krishna outlined IBM's AI strategy in an analyst AMA session, emphasizing openness, ecosystem integration, and a deliberate shift away from proprietary positioning. He identified software growth as the key metric for AI success and cited IBM's generative AI book of business surpassing $12.5 billion. Krishna announced plans to triple entry-level hiring in 2026, arguing AI can make junior employees perform like veterans. He defended the mainframe as an asset rather than a liability, pointed to Red Hat as IBM's strongest strategic bet, and acknowledged IBM lacks sufficient market share but is narrowing focus to accelerate execution.