> Java will never be able to compete with Kotlin in this regard, as Java language architects value backward compatibility over code safety. Never is a strong s

> Java will never be able to compete with Kotlin in this regard, as Java language architects value backward compatibility over code safety. Never is a strong statement. The java team spends a good amount of time thinking on how they could bring Nullability into the type system. It’s certainly possible we could get it as apart of Project Valhalla - https://mail.openjdk.org/pipermail/valhalla-spec-experts/2023-February/002223.html https://mail.openjdk.org/pipermail/valhalla-spec-experts/202... Aside from future language changes that could bring direct null safety, there are practical tools like NullAway that essentially give us everything Kotlin has.