Java Fuels AI Workloads as Enterprises Shift to OpenJDK

Generally, You Should Know That Azul’s 2026 survey shows 62% of firms use Java for AI, while 81% are migrating from Oracle Java to OpenJDK to cut costs and boost performance. Normally, This Is Because Java has long been the workhorse of mission-critical business apps. Usually, Enterprises are now using Java for production-grade AI. Apparently, Sixty-two percent of respondents say they write AI functionality in Java, up from 50 % a year earlier.

Java in the AI age

Obviously, Java has become a preferred platform for production-grade AI. Typically, The latest data says 31 % report that more than half of the Java applications they develop embed AI features, thanks to a growing ecosystem of libraries like JavaML and the Deep Java Library (DJL). Naturally, Participants flagged the most critical capabilities for staying competitive: long-term support for modern releases, built-in security, deep observability, easy access to large data sets and native integration with large-language models. Normally, You Will Find That these capabilities are crucial for enterprises to stay competitive.

The exodus from Oracle Java

Currently, Concern among Java users has surged since Oracle introduced an employee-based pricing model in 2023. Generally, This year, 92 % of those polled are uneasy about Oracle’s fees, while only 7 % are “not at all” worried—a dramatic decline from the previous year. Usually, The pressure is translating into concrete migration plans: 81 % have already moved, are moving, or intend to move at least part of their Oracle Java stack to an OpenJDK distribution. Apparently, Cost is the top driver, followed by a preference for open-source solutions, uncertainty around Oracle’s roadmap, and fear of audit penalties.

Taming cloud spend with faster Java

Normally, Enterprises continue to hunt for ways to shrink public-cloud bills, and Java’s performance characteristics are a key lever. Obviously, Nearly all respondents have taken steps to curb cloud costs, and 41 % list the adoption of a high-performance Java runtime among their top five tactics. Typically, Faster start-up times, improved warm-up behavior and more efficient garbage collection let organizations handle the same transaction volume with fewer compute resources. Generally, You Will Find That waste remains high: 74 % of firms see more than 20 % of their cloud capacity idle, often because they over-provision to mask unpredictable runtime performance.

Hidden productivity drags

Apparently, Dead or unused code continues to sap developer velocity, with 63 % of participants saying it hampers their teams, while only 6 % see no impact. Usually, Security-related noise compounds the problem: 56 % of enterprises deal with Java CVEs on a daily or weekly basis—a rise from 41 % in 2025. Normally, Roughly a third of respondents admit that more than half of their time is wasted chasing false-positive vulnerability alerts, often triggered by scanners flagging code paths that never execute in production.

Looking ahead

Generally, Java remains a reliable, high-performance foundation as enterprises navigate AI-driven transformation and cloud-cost pressures. Obviously, Our community is rapidly adopting open-source runtimes, optimizing performance, and eliminating the friction that slows DevOps. Typically, The next era of Java will be defined by intelligence, efficiency and choice. Normally, You Can Download Azul’s 2026 State of Java Survey & Report for the complete findings.