The Algorithm Is the Archive

What happens when memory is sorted, surfaced, and forgotten by machines — and why human intervention still matters.

This is a Deep Cut — part of my ongoing series exploring media, AI, and the stories we tell (and forget).

We used to have people for this.

Librarians. Broadcasters. Historians.

They decided what got remembered — and what didn’t.

Now? It’s TikTok trends, YouTube remixes, and whatever a language model happens to surface when you ask it a question.

We’ve let algorithms take over the work of cultural memory — not because they’re better at it, but because they’re faster. Cheaper. Easier.

This isn’t an essay about nostalgia. It’s about responsibility.

About who shapes the archive now.

And what happens when we forget to care about what we forget.

A New Kind of Archivist

Not long ago, a forgotten track from the ‘80s resurfaced on TikTok, propelled by a viral dance challenge. Suddenly, it was everywhere — playlists, commercials, even late-night TV.

This wasn’t a curated revival by music historians; it was an algorithmic resurrection, driven by engagement metrics and user interactions.

We’ve transitioned from human-curated memory to engagement-optimized memory. Algorithms now determine what resurfaces and what fades into obscurity.

They don’t archive with intention; they archive through attention.

But the human algorithm hasn’t vanished. It’s just been overshadowed by the feed.