Likewise and Ice Cream Club – AI algorithms meet human recommendations
Likewise – AI as a personal recommendation engine
Likewise is an American service that recommends movies, TV shows, books, and podcasts. The platform is built on AI that analyzes users’ previous choices and suggests new content based on recognized patterns.
It’s an interesting idea, and for some users the algorithms can be helpful as inspiration. But AI still lacks one key component: the human understanding of emotions, context, and relationships.
Ice Cream Club – people and community at the center
Ice Cream Club takes the opposite approach. Instead of anonymous algorithms, the foundation is recommendations from friends and community members.
Context: A friend can explain why a film is worth watching.
Variety: Different people bring unique perspectives.
Relevance: Tips from friends who share your humor, background, or culture are more accurate.
The result is a living social feed where every recommendation is grounded in relationships, not just data.
Why human recommendations often beat AI
There are several reasons why a friend’s tips feel stronger than algorithmic suggestions:
Emotion: AI can detect patterns but can’t truly understand feelings.
Trust: A tip from a friend carries more weight than one from a faceless algorithm.
Community: Watching the same thing as your friends adds meaning – and sparks conversations afterwards.
Two different perspectives on discovery
Likewise: Broad AI suggestions based on usage patterns.
Ice Cream Club: Social discovery built on trust and personal relevance.
One gives you inspiration via algorithms, the other gives you meaning through relationships.
Conclusion
Likewise shows the potential of AI for cultural recommendations. But what truly helps us decide and enjoy what to watch are the recommendations from people we trust.
👉 Try Ice Cream Club today and discover films and series the natural way – through friends and community.