AI is no longer something developers bolt onto an app; it’s becoming the core of how systems are built. Oracle’s latest announcements at KubeCon 2025 show that shift in action. Instead of sprinkling AI features on top of databases and cloud tools, Oracle is rebuilding the foundation around AI, data, and infrastructure working together.
The new Oracle AI Database 26ai, the Autonomous AI Lakehouse, and the Open Agent Specification share one goal: to make it easier for developers to build, train, and deploy intelligent applications without fighting with complexity. It’s a simple message with deep implications. Oracle wants to make the tools smarter so developers can focus on what matters most: creating.
At the heart of this release is the idea of convergence. The lines between your database, models, and compute are blurring. Instead of managing dozens of disconnected systems, developers can now work in one connected environment that supports reasoning, automation, and scale.
AI for Data: Turning the Database into a Thinking Engine
Oracle’s AI Database 26ai is more than an upgrade; it’s a mindset shift. The database is no longer a place where data sits; it’s a place where intelligence happens.
Developers can now define and run AI agents directly inside the database. That means you don’t have to ship data out to other services or stitch together complex pipelines. The new Select AI Agent lets you automate tasks and manage workflows with simple REST or MCP calls. It’s fast, flexible, and built for teams who want to keep everything secure and local.
A standout feature is Unified Hybrid Vector Search. It allows teams to query vectors alongside relational, JSON, and graph data all in one step. When paired with large language models (LLMs), it gives you AI workflows that are context-aware and grounded in your own enterprise data.
And because every organization has its own model strategy, Oracle offers flexible model choices from ONNX embeddings to private inference through its Private AI Services Container. This gives teams control over privacy while still tapping into the latest AI advances.
The big idea? The database now helps reason about data, not just store it.
Open Data and Open Agents: Building Without Boundaries
The second major theme in Oracle’s release is openness — in both data and AI workflows.
The new Autonomous AI Lakehouse gives developers and data teams a clean, open way to build. With native Apache Iceberg support, it enables teams to use familiar tools and languages while keeping their data portable across cloud and on-prem systems. It’s a practical move that frees developers from vendor lock-in and brings AI-ready data closer to where it’s used.
The Open Agent Specification (Agent Spec) builds on that philosophy. It’s a framework-agnostic way to describe AI agents and their workflows in a single, unified format. That means you can define what an agent should do with its tools, logic, and memory, and then run it anywhere without rewriting. It’s about simplifying how agentic AI fits into real software projects.
In short, Oracle is connecting the dots between how AI agents think and where data lives. Developers get to spend less time wiring systems together and more time building things that actually work.
The Developer’s Advantage
Oracle’s move couldn’t come at a better time. Teams today are managing scattered data, fast-changing AI models, and multi-cloud realities. These new tools simplify all three.
- Developers get faster feedback loops and less tool friction.
- Data teams gain open, interoperable platforms that speak the same language.
- Buyers see better cost control and flexibility through Oracle’s multicloud deployment options.
Together, these updates bring intelligence, openness, and control into one experience — the kind of foundation developers have been asking for.
Final Take: AI That Works with You
Oracle’s message at KubeCon 2025 is clear: it’s time to build with AI at the core, not as an afterthought. With the Oracle AI Database 26ai, Agent Spec, and the Autonomous AI Lakehouse, Oracle is giving developers tools that think, reason, and adapt alongside them.
The future of enterprise software won’t be about wiring systems together; it will be about systems that understand what you’re trying to do. Oracle is taking a confident step in that direction, making AI practical, open, and ready for real work.
