Kotlin is an open-source, statically typed language that was introduced in 2010 by JetBrains as an alternative to Java for Android development. It compiles to Java bytecode and is fully interoperable with Java, while allowing for shorter, simpler code compared to Java. Some key benefits of Kotlin include 30% less code than Java, a large developer community of over 5 million, safer code through its smarter compiler, and increased developer satisfaction.