diff --git a/apis/vpn/v1alpha1/nbsetupkey_types.go b/apis/vpn/v1alpha1/nbsetupkey_types.go
index 5a26f47..1786ba2 100644
--- a/apis/vpn/v1alpha1/nbsetupkey_types.go
+++ b/apis/vpn/v1alpha1/nbsetupkey_types.go
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ type NbSetupKeyObservation struct {
 	AllowExtraDnsLabels bool `json:"allow_extra_dns_labels"`
 
 	// AutoGroups List of group IDs to auto-assign to peers registered with this key
-	AutoGroups *[]string `json:"auto_groups,omitempty"`
+	AutoGroups []string `json:"auto_groups,omitempty"`
 
 	// Ephemeral Indicate that the peer will be ephemeral or not
 	Ephemeral bool `json:"ephemeral"`
diff --git a/apis/vpn/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go b/apis/vpn/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
index c2023b2..88cfa70 100644
--- a/apis/vpn/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
+++ b/apis/vpn/v1alpha1/zz_generated.deepcopy.go
@@ -1510,12 +1510,8 @@ func (in *NbSetupKeyObservation) DeepCopyInto(out *NbSetupKeyObservation) {
 	*out = *in
 	if in.AutoGroups != nil {
 		in, out := &in.AutoGroups, &out.AutoGroups
-		*out = new([]string)
-		if **in != nil {
-			in, out := *in, *out
-			*out = make([]string, len(*in))
-			copy(*out, *in)
-		}
+		*out = make([]string, len(*in))
+		copy(*out, *in)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/controller/nbsetupkey/nbsetupkey.go b/internal/controller/nbsetupkey/nbsetupkey.go
index d6bf732..0ea47df 100644
--- a/internal/controller/nbsetupkey/nbsetupkey.go
+++ b/internal/controller/nbsetupkey/nbsetupkey.go
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ func (c *external) Observe(ctx context.Context, mg resource.Managed) (managed.Ex
 	cr.Status.AtProvider = v1alpha1.NbSetupKeyObservation{
 		Id:                  setupkey.Id,
 		AllowExtraDnsLabels: setupkey.AllowExtraDnsLabels,
-		AutoGroups:          &setupkey.AutoGroups,
+		AutoGroups:          setupkey.AutoGroups,
 		Ephemeral:           setupkey.Ephemeral,
 		Expires:             setupkey.Expires.String(),
 		LastUsed:            setupkey.LastUsed.String(),