For the first time in the history of TIOBE's index, Java has slipped out of the top two, leaving Python to occupy the spot behind reigning champion, C.

According to SlashData, there are now 8.2 million developers in the world who code using Python and that population is now larger than those who build in Java, who number 7.6 million.

Python has surpassed Java as the top language used to introduce U.S. students to programming and computer science, according to a recent survey posted by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM).

While Python still gets top billing when it comes to developing for AI, Java proponents see the nearly 30-year-old Java programming language ready to take charge in the AI field.

Fast-forward to the present, however, and Java no longer enjoys that hallowed university status. By 2014, Python had replaced Java as the go-to programming language for introductory computer courses ...

"Python and R are both open source and free to use, giving them both a rich ecosystem and plenty of support from academic communities." Java developers who plan to explore data science calculation may ...