> Learning an unfamiliar aspect and doing it be hand will have the same issues. If you're new to Terraform, you are new to Terraform

Which is why you spend time upfront becoming familiar with whatever it is you need to implement. Otherwise it’s just programming by coincidence [1], which is how amateurs write code.

> and are probably going to even insert more footguns than the AI.

Very unlikely. If I spend time understanding a domain then I tend to make fewer errors when working within that domain.

> At least when the AI does it you can review it.

You can’t review something you don’t understand.

[1] https://dev.to/decoeur_/programming-by-coincidence-dont-do-i...