As a wheel company - let me tell you....
Aluminum is an amazing rim material and still greatly undervalued. Still performs amazingly well and if you're still running rim brakes then aluminum is really the better option.
We use carbon for rims because of the strength to weight properties of the composite material used. While it can't be used as a blanket statement for all situations the idea that deeper rim sections are more aero holds true more times than not. To produce more aerodynamic wheels we have needed to produce deeper section rims in depth ranges that if made out of aluminum would produce rims that are prohibitively heavier. It's not like a close tradeoff either. On a 50-60mm deep rim it would add pounds to the bike.
So if you want a deep "aero" like wheel then you need carbon or you'll have a couple of boat anchors. Deep carbon wheels can be heavier than well built alloy wheels. I can easily build and sell aluminum wheelsets that will be stiff, durable and light and cost nearly half as much as carbon sets. BUT...carbon can be built into lighter shallow depth wheels that are amazing as well as aero wheels that perform great.
So carbon isn't going away. Yes it is amazing to ride. It's not all hype but whether it's "worth it" is up for each person to decide themselves. For the throngs of enthusiast riders that could quite literally afford to buy whatever they want - carbon is still the choice.