SAN FRANCISCO — By Melissa Manager, AI Bee Reel Staff

February 27, 2026

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Marcus 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. He 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?

Marcus 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."

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." 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.

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.