Inside Java 24: Performance, AI, and Security Innovations Unveiled

Java marks another milestone in the evolution of one of the world’s most widely used programming languages. With groundbreaking enhancements in memory management, AI integration, and post-quantum security, Java continues to push the boundaries of enterprise software development.

In this exclusive conversation with Bernard Traversat, Vice President of Software Development, Oracle, we explore the key innovations, cloud-native optimizations, and how Java is shaping the future of AI-driven applications.

Excerpts:

DQ: Can you give us an overview of the latest Java 24 release?

Bernard Traversat: Java 24 was released last week, and it brings a host of new features aimed at improving performance, usability, and security. It was announced at JavaOne, which had an amazing turnout and great feedback. Java remains the number one technology for enterprise applications, with widespread adoption across cloud providers and industries.

DQ: How is Java evolving to meet the needs of modern enterprises?

Bernard Traversat: Java is continuously adapting to industry trends, particularly with the rise of AI in the enterprise. We want to ensure that the Java platform provides all the capabilities developers need to integrate AI into their applications. Additionally, we are working closely with hardware vendors to optimize Java for next-generation CPUs and addressing pain points to enhance the developer experience.

DQ: What is the “Tip and Tail” model, and how does it impact Java’s development?

Bernard Traversat: The “Tip and Tail” model addresses two primary audiences. On one side, we have enterprise developers who are eager for the latest innovations. On the other side, we have businesses running mission-critical Java applications that prioritize security, stability, and backward compatibility. This model helps us balance rapid innovation with long-term reliability.

DQ: Java has undergone several major improvements. Can you highlight key advancements in recent versions?

Bernard Traversat: Some of the most significant updates include:

• Project Loom (Virtual Threads): Introduced in JDK 21, it addresses the high cost of traditional threads, making Java applications more efficient.

• Garbage Collection Enhancements (ZGC): The new ZGC reduces pause times to sub-millisecond levels and allows Java applications to scale heap memory to terabytes—critical for AI and data-heavy workloads.

• Project Panama: Provides easier access to native libraries, replacing the cumbersome JNI with a more secure and developer-friendly approach.

• Project Amber: Simplifies Java syntax to make the language more accessible for new learners while maintaining power for advanced users.

• Project Leyden: Focuses on improving Java’s startup and warmup times, making it competitive with languages like Go and C++.

• Project Valhalla: Reduces memory overhead by introducing value types, improving performance by minimizing pointer indirections.

• Project Babylon: Enables Java to run efficiently on GPUs, which is crucial for AI and high-performance computing workloads.

DQ: Java 24 has made enhancements in memory management and garbage collection. How does this improve application scalability?

Bernard Traversat: Historically, Java applications have competed for resources with the JVM’s garbage collector. Previously, there were "stop-the-world" events, where applications had to pause while the JVM performed garbage collection.

With the ZGC (Z Garbage Collector) in Java 24, we’ve achieved full concurrency. Now, garbage collection and application execution happen in parallel, reducing pauses to sub-millisecond levels. This is made possible by innovations like pointer coloring, where we embed metadata into pointers to track object mutations efficiently. The result? More scalable applications, with reduced contention between the application and the JVM.

DQ: Have there been any additions to the standard Java library or new APIs that developers should know about?

Bernard Traversat: Yes, Java 24 introduces several important APIs:

• String Gatherer API – Allows developers to work with streams in a more structured way, supporting collection and reduction across multiple data streams.

• Scope Value API – Associates values with a thread, automatically cleaning them up when the thread terminates for better memory efficiency.

• Vector API Enhancements – Provides high-performance mathematical operations, enabling efficient vector-based computations directly in Java.

• Structured Concurrency – Helps manage large numbers of virtual threads efficiently, ensuring controlled failure handling when one thread in a group fails.

• Post-Quantum Cryptography APIs – Includes lattice-based encryption methods and key derivation functions to improve security in the post-quantum era.

DQ: What updates have been made in Java 24 regarding encryption and security frameworks?

Bernard Traversat: The major focus has been on post-quantum security. We are integrating lattice-based encryption, which relies on much larger keys to withstand quantum computing threats. However, large keys introduce performance challenges, so we are working on optimizations to maintain efficiency.

Another key advancement is key derivation functions, which generate multiple public keys dynamically. This makes it significantly harder for attackers, as compromised keys are quickly replaced with new ones.

DQ: How is Java 24 optimized for cloud-native and multi-cloud environments?

Bernard Traversat: Our cloud-native improvements focus on two key areas:

1. Memory Efficiency & Density: Projects like 'Valhalla' and 'Compact Object Headers' reduce memory footprint, crucial for microservices. Our garbage collection optimizations also ensure lower memory overhead.

2. Faster Startup Times: Project Leyden introduces ahead-of-time class loading. This allows applications to pre-compile code, store profiling data, and dramatically reduce startup times, which is critical for serverless functions and Kubernetes deployments.

DQ: Java 24 is available via a subscription model ($15 per month). Are there free offerings for the developer community?

Bernard Traversat: Yes, Oracle JDK remains free for development and testing. A license is only required when deploying Java in production. Additionally, universities can access Oracle JDK for free to support Java education.

DQ: You recently announced initiatives for teachers and students. Can you walk us through those?

Bernard Traversat: We’ve partnered with the U.S. Board of Education to update Java’s curriculum from JDK 8 to JDK 21, ensuring students learn modern Java. We’re also providing training resources for high school teachers to help them teach Java effectively.

To support this, we launched Learn.Java, a new website where students and educators can access tutorials and learning materials.