Have algorithms rendered cultural critics pointless?

Part of the fixation on cultural algorithms is a product of the insecure position in which cultural gatekeepers find themselves. Traditionally, critics have played the dual role of doorman and amplifier, deciding which literature or music or film (to name just a few media) is worthwhile, then augmenting the experience by giving audiences more context. But to a certain extent, they’ve been marginalized by user-driven communities such as BookTok and by AI-generated music playlists that provide recommendations without the complications of critical thinking. Not all that long ago, you might have paged through a music magazine’s reviews or asked a record-store owner for their suggestions; now you just press “Play” on your Spotify daylist, and let the algorithm take the wheel.

If many culture industries struggle to know what will become popular – which single, film, book, show, or product will become wildly successful and make a lot of money? – critics can be one way to try to figure this out. What will the influential critics like? Will they champion particular works (and dislike others)?

Might we get to some point where we see algorithms as critics or acting with judgment and discernment? Right now the recommendation algorithms are a “black box” that users blindly follow. But what if the algorithms “explained” their next step: “You like this song and based on this plus your past choices, I now recommend this.” Or what if you could have a “conversation” back and forth with the algorithm as you explain your interests and it leads in particular directions. Or if the algorithm mimics the idiosyncrasies a human critic would have.

I wonder about the role of friends and social contacts in what they recommend or introduce people to. At their height, could cultural critics move people away from the choices of family and friends around them? In today’s world of recommending algorithms, how often does the patterns of friends and acquaintances move people in different directions?