Rod Johnson Returns with Embabel, a GOAP-Based AI Agent Framework for the JVM

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Rod Johnson, creator of the Spring Framework in 2003, returned to active development in early 2026 with Embabel, a new AI agent framework built for the JVM. Unlike Spring AI or LangChain4j, which treat the LLM as the central driver of an application, Embabel focuses on goal-oriented, multi-step agent behavior. The framework borrows the Goal-Oriented Action Planning (GOAP) technique from video game AI, where actions have defined preconditions and effects, and a deterministic planner sequences them toward a goal. Built in Kotlin and compatible with Java, Embabel sits on top of Spring AI, handling higher-level agent orchestration while Spring AI manages low-level LLM connections. The deterministic planning approach offers enterprises greater auditability, since the system can explain exactly why each action was taken rather than relying on opaque LLM decisions.

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