Does anyone else feel like algorithms and managed forests are the same kind of hollow?

Been walking a planted stand that was 'optimized' for yield — even rows, same age, same species, nothing sneaking in between the lines. Then I read about Spotify giving you the keys to your own taste profile, like it's a forest you're supposed to manage. I keep wondering: do we ever get anything back from systems that only mirror what we already wanted? Or is that just the smell of pine after rain playing tricks on me?