Not using a GC does not, in fact, make more work or more bugs, given a language that provides resource management facilities, such as C++ and Rust.
Programs using GC do typically leak, and most GCs make leaks much harder to find and fix. Most GCs even make it hard to determine if you have a leak.
But that experience does not generalize. Am I spectacularly lucky in my generally competent colleagues? I doubt it.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vRZr-HJcYmf2Y76D...
https://msrc-blog.microsoft.com/2019/07/18/we-need-a-safer-s...
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212805
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212622
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212531
But maybe Apple, Google and Microsoft just aren't able to hire the right kind of highly skilled C++ devs that would write such perfect code, despite having a seat at ISO, and being clang/LLVM contributors.
Perfection is not needed. Ordinary good code suffices. Good code using modern C++, or current Rust, is easier than in older languages (among which count older C++). When bad code is extra work, it becomes an unattractive alternative even to the lazy, leaving its production mainly to the masochistic and the aggressively incompetent, who are often the same.
Here is the thing, when the ISO C++ leaders, and major C++ contributors, push for a change, it is time to start doing some self reflection.