Hi Jeff, nice to meet you and welcome to game development. :-)
Since you mentioned you are new let me give you some advices:
-Always start small. Not big games, don't try to make a GTA or a COD first. Start small (like a VN, a coin picking game or any prototype not for publishing).
-Do not pirate the tools you use. If some tool is commercial, buy it, to avoid any legal problems in the future or use free alternatives.
-Do not use AI as a replacement. AI is not a replacement, is a tool, or something more like an assistant. It may create some small code and pretty drawings, but when you need to create things bigger and functional, you will need the knowledge (in arts, music, etc) or a professional's help.
-Read licenses and ToS. Many of the things you can or can not do are explained there also, how much a company or third party can affect/control your work. (Example: Unity situation, so beware of SaaS, (note: Unreal is also a SaaS.))
-Don't marry with anything. Learn how to do stuff, not how to use a specific tool/program. If in the future you need to change the tools, it will be less painful.
-Remember to take rests from time to time. Don't overwork yourself. (The only person responsible for your well being is yourself.)
I hope i didn't scare you, wasn't my intention, just give you a little hand/head start. Don't be afraid of making question. There is no stupid question. Everybody was a newbie once.
And good luck.
I made a copy paste from another post. haha. Anyway, wish you luck.
:-)