Key takeaways:
- Pearson is shaping the future of learning in the AI era
- Our AI-powered tools are improving learner engagement and outcomes at scale
- We’re helping people move from education into the workforce with the skills employers are actually looking for.
- Pearson is helping enterprises build AI-ready talent through global technology partnerships.
What TIME’s recognition says about Pearson’s impact on the future of learning
Pearson has been named one of TIME’s World’s Most Impactful Companies for 2026, recognised for its product innovation, learning outcomes, financial performance, and broader societal impact.
The ranking comes at a moment when AI is transforming how people learn, how work gets done, and what skills matter most. In a time of such change, the organisations creating the greatest impact are those helping people adapt and prepare for success.
Here are three ways Pearson is helping define the future of learning in the age of AI:
1) Pearson is building AI tools for better learning outcomes
Education is flooded with AI products. But many of them fall short of unlocking the true value of personalised, AI-powered learning.
EXPLAINER:
AI-powered learning refers to learning experiences that use artificial intelligence to adapt content, feedback, and support to each learner in real time.
Pearson is different. We believe AI’s greatest promise is to elevate human potential, not replace it. We design products with students and educators at the heart. Backed by our deep expertise, learning science, and world-leading proprietary IP, Pearson AI study tools help build knowledge and critical thinking step by step, rather than just generating answers.
We're seeing measurable results. Our Active Reading report shows a single use of the Pearson AI study tool in Pearson eTextbooks embedded in instructor-led digital courseware increased the likelihood a student would become an active reader by 23x. Repeat users were 24x more likely to receive that designation.
EXPLAINER:
Active reading is when students engage deeply with content – asking questions, reflecting, and applying ideas, rather than passively consuming information. It’s a well-established concept based in learning science.
As Tom ap Simon, Pearson’s President of Higher Education, recently wrote in Fast Company “Students who used Pearson AI study tools were dramatically more likely to engage in active reading behaviors than those who did not. This matters because reading remains one of the strongest predictors of college success, and because readiness is declining.”
This is important because the future of learning won’t be defined by access to AI alone, but by how effectively it helps people learn.
2) Pearson is helping people prepare for an AI-powered workplace
People entering the workforce need to be equipped to use AI tools with confidence, judgment and responsibility.
But Pearson’s AI Readiness report, in partnership with AWS, found a disconnect between the pace of technological change and how prepared people feel for it. While 67% of learners, educators and employers say AI-driven change is happening very fast, Pearson's research – recently highlighted by Forbes – shows that more than half of employers say their biggest challenge is finding graduates with the right AI skills.
EXPLAINER:
AI readiness refers to the human capability to work effectively alongside intelligent systems.
Pearson is helping to bridge the gap by launching AI modules designed to help college and university students build practical, workforce-relevant AI skills within their field of study. Students who complete the modules earn Credly badges – verified credentials that prove AI readiness to employers. These newest AI modules are in addition to the Pearson AI literacy modules designed to teach students how to use AI responsibly and critically evaluate outputs.
As AI reshapes hiring and career pathways, being able to prove what you know is becoming increasingly important. Pearson is helping learners build in-demand skills and earn verified credentials that signal to employers what they can actually do.
3) Pearson is helping enterprises build future-ready workforces
Organisations face growing pressure to adopt new technologies and show ROI. Too often, they deploy tools first and expect learning will catch up.
That approach is failing. The enterprises succeeding in the AI era are those investing in human learning and technology together – building workforces that can adapt, learn continuously, and use AI effectively at scale.
Pearson is helping make that possible. Working with global technology partners including AWS, Deloitte, Google, IBM, Microsoft, Salesforce and ServiceNow, Pearson combines workforce insights, skills assessment, and AI-powered learning solutions to help organisations close critical skills gaps and build AI-ready talent.
Why TIME recognised Pearson’s impact on the future of learning
Being ranked one of TIME’s World’s Most Impactful Companies reflects Pearson’s growing role in shaping how people and enterprises learn, build skills, and prepare for work in an AI-powered economy.
AI will only deliver value if we invest in people. That is where Pearson is focused: helping people build the skills, confidence, and verified capabilities needed to thrive as technology evolves.
Trusted learning, assessment and workforce readiness matter now more than ever. That is the future Pearson is building.