March 4-6, Atlanta, USA. Java’s influence on enterprise software is undeniable, and at the Devnexus 2026 Conference, one of the most anticipated moments will be when Rod Johnson, creator of the Spring Framework and visionary in enterprise Java, takes the stage to deliver a keynote that challenges, inspires, and equips developers for the future of AI in the enterprise.
Enterprise AI Needs Java Minds
In his keynote titled “It’s Up to Java Developers to Fix Enterprise AI,” Rod will tackle a critical industry challenge: enterprise generative AI initiatives often fail to deliver real value when treated as exotic bolt-ons rather than core parts of business systems.
Rod argues that Java developers are uniquely positioned to lead the next wave of enterprise AI success because the JVM already powers millions of mission-critical applications, and modern Java practices advance stability, scalability, and rigor.
From Patterns to Production
- Rather than relying on ad-hoc hacks or prototypes, Rod’s keynote will highlight practical patterns for building agentic AI applications that work in real enterprise settings, including:
- Structured agent interactions moving beyond unstructured text to type-safe, testable code.
- Domain-anchored agents turning your domain model into an AI asset, not an afterthought.
- Supercharged tool methods minimize context while keeping sensitive data secure.
- Agentic RAG combines retrieval with business logic so AI reasoning ties back to enterprise reality.
Rod will show how frameworks like Embabel, Spring’s patterns, and the broader JVM ecosystem can leapfrog today’s Python-centric prototypes into production-ready, enterprise-grade solutions.
Why This Matters Now
AI is no longer a speculative future; it’s here, reshaping software development at every scale. But too many efforts stumble because they treat AI as something separate from the tried-and-true engineering practices that make enterprise systems reliable.
Rod’s message is clear: the future of enterprise AI belongs to developers who deeply understand their systems, and Java developers are uniquely equipped to lead that charge.
About Rod Johnson
Rod is a legend in the Java community. As the creator of the Spring Framework and co-founder/CEO of SpringSource, he helped make enterprise Java accessible, productive, and widely adopted. He’s an author, investor, and engineer who continues to explore the intersections of AI, software design, and real-world systems.
See the full details of all the training, workshops, and talks at DEVNEXUS HERE
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