From Chaos to Clarity: My Journey with AI in Hollywood

By Audrey Henson, Operations Assistant & AI Strategist, Verve

AI generated image from Canva

Being an assistant in Hollywood is not for the faint of heart. It’s a role defined by constant motion, where managing chaos, anticipating needs, and absorbing an overwhelming amount of information at breakneck speeds are all in a day’s work. The fear of making mistakes, missing critical details, or not knowing enough is pervasive. 

How could you fully understand everything when you’re rarely given the time to digest it all? It’s like speed-reading a book—you see the words, but are you really understanding the story?

When I first arrived in Hollywood, I dreamed of becoming a TV writer. Landing a job at an agency in the literary department felt like the perfect stepping stone. I was eager to learn how deals were made and why certain scripts got sold. But as the excitement of the new job wore off, the reality of pursuing self-expression in Hollywood became clear. 

Writers were under immense pressure, often fighting tooth and nail for projects that, in the end, weren’t fulfilling. It was disheartening, and I began to question whether the creative path would ever truly bring me happiness.

Just when I thought I was getting the hang of things, the writer’s strike hit, and like many others, I found myself laid off. Losing my job and healthcare was a gut punch, and the isolation that came with it, without a solid network to lean on, made it even harder. I felt alone, anxious, and desperate for answers about Hollywood’s future. I needed a way to process the whirlwind of thoughts and emotions consuming me.

That’s when I discovered ChatGPT.

I understand why AI scares people. The fear that it will take over jobs, that it’s too complex to understand, or that it’s beyond our control is very real. These fears aren’t unfounded. But here’s what I’ve always found more helpful than fear: when something scares you, shine a light in that dark corner and see what’s really there. Maybe the monster isn’t as big as you thought, or maybe it is. Either way, at least you know.

We’re at a pivotal moment in AI’s development— one where we still have the ability to shape its future. 

You can choose to sit in the back seat, letting someone else take you for a ride, or you can occasionally take the wheel, deciding how fast the car goes and which direction it turns. But if you don’t participate, you’ll never get a say in where this ride takes you.

During those months of being laid off, AI became a tool that helped me better connect with the world around me. It wasn’t a replacement for human connection, but it provided a way to process my thoughts and find connections between seemingly disjointed ideas. As a neurodivergent person, my thoughts don’t always follow a straight line. AI helped me navigate that part of myself, even helping me make peace with it.

When the strike ended, I was hired onto a TV partner’s desk at a different agency. While I was ready to get back to work, it quickly became clear that the traditional assistant role just wasn’t for me. The daily grind was draining, and my brain isn’t wired for repetitive, detail-oriented tasks. I needed something more dynamic, something that played to my strengths.

That’s when I was moved into the mailroom—another punch to my gut. My ego was bruised, but my boss gave me a piece of advice that stuck: “I am forcing your hand, Audrey. Do you know what cards you’re holding? If not, then this is your opportunity to figure that out.” 

Reluctantly at first, I took the time to decompress and reflect. I realized how impossible it was for me to figure out what “I wanted to do.” I want a lot of things, I thought. I want economic stability. I want to help others make sense of Hollywood because it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information coming at you.

So, instead of focusing on one specific path, I decided to find where I could bridge a gap in Hollywood. That’s when I revisited the WGA agreement and realized that, nearly nine months later, we still hadn’t addressed the big issue of AI. The very thing I had spent the entire strike learning about and experimenting with was still viewed as a villain by many. Frustration turned into motivation, and I knew I needed to get out of the mailroom and become more effective.

Using AI, I crafted a pitch to become the company’s go-to person on bridging the technological gap with creatives—a role that didn’t exist yet and, to be honest, is still evolving. The very tool that everyone feared was what I used to pull myself out of a career rut. I presented my pitch, and before I knew it, I was in a new role as an assistant in operations, with the understanding that I could help drive our AI implementation.

In my excitement for this new position, one of the partners gave me advice that resonated deeply: “If you focus on helping the version of you that struggled as an assistant, then not only will you help others in similar positions, but it will also be healing for you.” 

That became my mission. I wanted to use AI to make life easier for others who didn’t fit the traditional mold but had something valuable to offer.

Through my journey, I’ve discovered several AI tools that can benefit assistants in Hollywood:

ChatGPT: Great for brainstorming ideas, drafting communications, or organizing thoughts when things get overwhelming.

Trello with AI Integration: Helps manage tasks and deadlines, with AI features that can prioritize based on your workflow.

Notion AI: An all-in-one workspace that aids in project management, note-taking, and collaboration, with AI assistance to keep everything streamlined.

Otter.ai: Perfect for transcribing meetings and interviews, ensuring that no detail is missed.

Looking back on my journey, I see that the ups and downs of this industry are inevitable. Hollywood is and always will be a rollercoaster. But through it all, AI has been a valuable tool— one that has allowed me to explore the inside of my own mind, organize my thoughts, and carve out a non-traditional path for myself in a very traditional landscape.

Using AI doesn’t diminish my successes, just as not using it doesn’t elevate my failures. 

It’s simply a tool—one that enabled me to navigate the complexities of this industry in a way that felt more manageable. When I was laid off, AI helped me make sense of the chaos. When I was in the mailroom, it helped me strategize a way forward. And now, in my current role, it’s helping me contribute to Hollywood in a meaningful way, not just for myself, but for others who might be facing similar challenges.

Love it or hate it, the reality is that AI isn’t going anywhere, and it has the potential to change our industry in ways we can’t even imagine. Instead of fearing it, I choose to become more informed. 

AI democratizes knowledge in a way we’ve never had access to before; and as we all know, knowledge is power—which in Hollywood, isn’t a bad thing to have on your side.