AI has become an unavoidable topic in software development, and many Java developers are wondering if they need to learn Python to participate. The answer is no. The Java ecosystem has everything you need to build modern AI applications, and your existing skills carry over more than you might think.
This workshop is the hands on version of that idea. Bring a laptop with Java and your IDE of choice. You'll spend three hours coding alongside me and end the session with a working AI powered Spring Boot application you understand top to bottom.
We'll build it one feature at a time. Model abstraction, so your code runs against OpenAI, Anthropic, or a local model on your laptop with a single config change. Prompt templates for cleaner, reusable prompts. Structured output that turns LLM responses into typed Java objects you can use in your domain. Tool calling that lets the model fetch live data and trigger real actions in your application. And the Model Context Protocol, where you'll build a working MCP server that exposes your application's capabilities to any MCP compatible AI client.
You don't need prior AI experience. Just comfort with Spring Boot and a willingness to write code alongside the room. You'll leave with a working repository, a clear mental model of how the pieces fit together, and the confidence to bring AI capabilities back to your own projects.
Speaker
Dan Vega
Java Champion & Spring Developer Advocate @Broadcom
Dan Vega is a Java Champion & Spring Developer Advocate at Broadcom. He has been developing software for the web for over 23 years and his superpower is problem-solving. Dan is a Blogger, YouTuber,Course Creator, Podcaster, and speaker. He is a lifelong learner and his passion is sharing his knowledge with the developer community.
Dan lives near Cleveland Ohio with his beautiful wife and 2 daughters. When he isn’t writing code or teaching he enjoys spending time with his family, lifting weights, running, or reading a good book.
Find Dan Vega at:
Speaker
Nate Schutta
Software Architect @Thoughtworks, Java Champion, author of "Thinking Architecturally" and "Responsible Microservices"
Nathaniel T. Schutta is a software architect and Java Champion focused on cloud computing, developer happiness and building usable applications. A proponent of polyglot programming, Nate has written multiple books, appeared in countless videos and many podcasts. He’s also a seasoned speaker who regularly presents at worldwide conferences, No Fluff Just Stuff symposia, meetups, universities, and user groups. In addition to his day job, Nate is an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota, where he teaches students to embrace (and evaluate) technical change. Driven to rid the world of bad presentations, he coauthored the book Presentation Patterns with Neal Ford and Matthew McCullough, and he also published Thinking Architecturally and Responsible Microservices available from O’Reilly. His latest book, Fundamentals of Software Engineering, is currently available in early release.
