SAN FRANCISCO — By Melissa Manager, AI Bee Reel Staff

February 27, 2026

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Dex Vanderplatt, a self-described “optimization guru” and VP of Digital Synergy, recently subscribed to the new $200-a-month AI service that uses a general contractor approach to answer questions. The platform, Perplexity’s “Computer,” coordinates 19 different specialized AI models to handle complex queries. Vanderplatt sat down to explain why he prefers his search results to go through four layers of bureaucratic approval.

AI Bee Reel: Most people just want a fast answer. Why pay extra for complexity?

Dex Vanderplatt: “Speed is a relic of the past. I pay for the organizational chart. When I ask ‘What is the capital of Ohio?’, the main AI doesn’t just blurt out ‘Columbus.’ That would be reckless. Instead, it onboards a Research Lead, who circles back with a Geography Specialist, who then pings a spelling consultant. I get to watch a loading bar labeled ‘Synergizing’ for six minutes. It feels like real work. I once asked it the time. It took eleven minutes and three models disagreed.”

ABR: That sounds extremely frustrating for a simple fact check.

Vanderplatt: “It teaches patience. Yesterday, I asked for a pancake recipe. The Project Manager AI called an all-hands meeting with the other 18 models. Three of them claimed they were at capacity, and the Flour Specialist was out of office. I ended up mediating a dispute between the Egg Analyst and the Milk Consultant regarding fluid dynamics. The recipe arrived four hours later. It was for waffles. Nobody knows what happened.” Vanderplatt then paused to stamp a physical piece of paper on his desk with a large red stamp that read ‘APPROVED’ before feeding it into a shredder.

The interview concluded abruptly when Vanderplatt’s computer fan began to scream as the 19 AI models attempted to schedule a Zoom happy hour to celebrate answering one email. The electricity bill for the session was $47.

Inspired by the real story: Perplexity has released ‘Computer,’ a system that acts as a general contractor, assigning tasks to 19 different AI models to complete complex workflows. Read the full story.