My understanding is that the brain isn't executing algorithms

All An algorithm really is is just a way of completing a task or solving a problem. So the brain does execute algorithms in one way or another, whether its in a scrict mathematical sense like those that computers utilize to produce exact results or a more dynamic procedural sense that humans often use to solve problems that don't have a simple or obvious mathematical implementation. and since facial recognition and name/face association are tasks/problems, the brain has algorithms for them.

comparisons of organic brains with digital computers is misleading, if not disingenuous.

The validity of this statement really depends on the scale at which things are being considered. On a broad level, such as a level at which a layman is easily capable of understanding, brains and computers are extremely similar, which is why the two are so often compared. You get a lot of misconceptions because as you start looking at each in increasing levels of detail, the two become more and more different and certain principles that apply to one will no longer apply to the other, but people with a limited understanding of either might not know where this happens or that it happens at all. This isn't through any fault in the comparison though, The point of the comparison is to gain an understanding of something that isn't well understood by comparing it to something that is well understood, and with the striking similarities between computers and brains on a basic level this is a great way to reinforce certain concepts. If you wanted to go into a level of detail in which you'd eliminate any possible misconceptions or confusion you might as well save youself the trouble and tell them to go get a degree in electrical engineering or neuropsych.

Their base principles of operation are completely different, like comparing legs with wheels.

This is actually a great comparison seeing as they both compare something discrete to something continuous. I think that one of the main reasons why were struggling so much to create artificial intelligence Is because everything we know about human intelligence is based on the brain which operates using continuous methods and were attmpting to create artificial intelligence on machines that operate using discrete logic. I suppose one could make the argument that we don't know enough about the brain to realistically replicate it with electronics, but I still think it's a better starting point than our current approach because were still not even sure what the finished product is going to look like or if it's even really possible. Right now it's hard to tell if were really even making progress, weve recently come up with some ground breaking machine learning algorithms which will be necessary for AI, but how do we know that's even a step in the right direction? Maybe we should be working less towards advanced intelligence and more towards creating very simple forms of sentience and self awareness and working our way up from there. Or maybe going about creating AI ourselves is fundamentally flawed, maybe we should be trying to simulate evolution for circuits and programs. and let AI be created through random (or not so random) mutations and survival of the fittest, the same way we were created.