This blog post provides some details of the Oracle Database 23ai.
Oracle’s latest long-term-support release, 23ai (“ai” for Artificial Intelligence), launched last year 2024, introduces powerful native AI capabilities—most notably AI Vector Search—combined with over 300 new features across data, development, and infrastructure
This post help provide basic understanding Oracle Database 23ai and its features.
AI Vector Search
A flagship capability: search unstructured data semantically by converting text/images into vectors using the new VECTOR datatype
Key features:
-
VECTORcolumn support in tables -
Create vector indexes
-
Perform semantic search via SQL functions
-
Optional accuracy tuning in queries
-
Exadata optimizations for fast vector processing
Oracle Database 23ai transforms your Oracle environment into an AI-first, semantic engine:
-
Install via Free edition or containers in minutes.
-
Define
VECTORcolumns, populate embeddings, and build vector indexes. -
Query unstructured & structured data semantically.
-
Integrate with RAG flows using SQL/PLSQL/Python.
-
Scale easily using Python/JDBC clients and Exadata.
AI-Assisted Optimizer & Adaptive Query Execution
Oracle 23ai enhances the Cost-Based Optimizer (CBO) with AI/ML features that help:
-
Predict better execution plans
-
Learn from historical workloads
-
Adapt plans at runtime using AI-enhanced estimation
Self-adjusting SQL plans without human tuning
Supports real-time statistics, feedback-based optimization
