"AOT" in the clojure world means compiling your clojure source down to JVM bytecode, which also means compiled-in calls against a particular state of clojure's

"AOT" in the clojure world means compiling your clojure source down to JVM bytecode, which also means compiled-in calls against a particular state of clojure's internal java api. By shipping clojure source, one avoids any concerns over incidental changes to internal code.