Oleg Vasilchenko M.A.

My research orbits around the pioneering use of artificial intelligence in legal proceedings in Malaysia, a path I ventured into following my Master’s exploration of law’s digitization in Singapore. In Sabah and Sarawak, AI’s role in sentencing marks a revolutionary step toward judicial innovation. My work critically examines the tensions this technology brews, juxtaposing transparency concerns with aspirations for judicial equality. By navigating the complexities of AI implementation, from algorithmic transparency to its reception by the legal community, I aim to unravel the nuanced dynamics between technological progress and legal tradition. As a participant in the International Max Planck Research School, my ethnographic study also extends to mobile courts and their societal impact, particularly on the unregistered inhabitants and indigenous populations of Borneo. I interrogate the broader ramifications of digital justice, scrutinizing both its potential in democratizing access to legal aid and its unintended consequences on societal inequities. My research endeavors to provide a comprehensive anthropological insight into the digital legal landscape, informing both national and international discourses on law, technology, and society.

My teaching portfolio mirrors my research interests, emphasizing the intersections of technology, law, and society. Courses like „Transcending Boundaries“ and „The Digital and the Human“ encourage students to critically examine the impact of digital innovations on cultural and social dynamics. In „Studying-up: Ethnographic Research of Powerful Elites“ and seminars on ethnographic writing, students are guided in the delicate task of examining power structures and the digitization of the legal system, fostering a nuanced understanding of the anthropological critique in the context of a technologically evolving world.