TornadoVM has two distinct APIs: 1) Loop-parallel API, and 2) Kernel API. We can use one or the other or both together. The loop parallel API requires only one annotation to be placed to the induction variable of a normal Java loop.

The kernel API is the more heavy-handed API for more power users which, as you said, follows similar style to OpenCL and exposes more hardware-specific programming elements to the user.