Java has been declared dead more times than we can count - yet here we are in 2026, and it's still powering a big part of the internet. In this talk, we'll explore where Java stands today - and where it doesn't - how the ecosystem is responding to the AI revolution with tools like Spring AI and LangChain4j, and finally what Java 26 brings to the table: new features, performance improvements, and what they mean for your day-to-day work.