Oracle Database 26ai represents Oracle’s next-generation, AI-first database, where artificial intelligence capabilities are natively embedded into the database engine rather than delivered as external or bolt-on services.

This is not just another version of the Oracle Database—it is better described as a learning and enablement platform for AI.

Oracle Database 26ai is specifically designed for:

• DBAs and Developers
• Professionals with little or no prior AI background
• Users working in day-to-day operational roles, such as monitoring, performance tuning, troubleshooting, and application development

By integrating AI directly into familiar database workflows, Oracle 26ai allows practitioners on the DBA track or Developer track to:

• Learn and apply AI concepts without switching tools or platforms
• Use AI capabilities during routine daily activities
• Gradually build AI expertise while continuing their existing responsibilities

In essence, Oracle Database 26ai is not just a database—it is a practical AI adoption platform that brings AI learning into the everyday work of DBAs and developers, lowering the entry barrier and accelerating real-world AI usage.

Key Capabilities Introduced with 26ai

1. Native Vector Data Support

Oracle Database 26ai introduces native support for:

• Vector data types
• Vector similarity search
• Hybrid SQL + vector queries

This enables use cases such as:

• Semantic search
• AI-assisted knowledge bases
• Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)

These capabilities are integrated into the database kernel and do not require a separate vector database.

2. AI Workloads Co-located with Enterprise Data

With 26ai, customers can run:

• OLTP workloads
• Analytical queries
• AI inference workloads

within the same database environment.

This reduces latency, improves data consistency, and simplifies overall architecture.

Summary

Oracle Database 26ai introduces native AI capabilities into the Oracle Database platform while preserving enterprise features such as availability, scalability, and security.

When combined with a supported version of Oracle Grid Infrastructure, 26ai provides a unified platform for transactional, analytical, and AI workloads within a single, highly available database architecture.