Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture

by Kyle Chayka

There is no pure form of culture that happens outside of technological influence, nor is there a singular best way to consume culture. We cannot just rid ourselves of algorithmic influence, even if we wanted to, since the technology has already inexorably shaped our era. But the first step of escaping the algorithms’ grip is recognizing it. By moving away from the mindset of passive consumption and thinking about a post-algorithmic digital ecosystem, we begin to construct that alternative, demonstrating that the influence of algorithms is neither inevitable nor permanent. Eventually Filterworld itself, with its set of entrenched styles, will prove to be a finite phase of culture, precisely because it will run out of fuel and run aground on its own self-referentiality. Something new is on the horizon; whether it is a flood of even more artificial content generated by artificial intelligence machines or a renaissance for human self-expression depends on our choices. As Benjamin wrote: “Every epoch, in fact, not only dreams the one to follow but, in dreaming, precipitates its awakening. It bears its end within itself.”