I consider using weird things in the AI to funnel the zombies in a completely non-zombie way to be cheesing the AI. The Killing Corridor can still be built as an AFK base by using the AI's pathing over certain blocks against it. I myself build a long pathway that has electric fences and sledge turrets as a way to slow the zombies and eventually force them to return to the start of the pathway. To me this all indicates a level of thought by the "zombies".
I'm one of those guys who does not see thinking "zombies" as zombies. If they think, they are NOT zombies. The zombies path on horde night to an insane degree. They actually path better on horde night than they do on the average night. Zombies have fallen off of my path on a non-horde night but never fall off on horde night unless I want them to. To me, 7 Days to Die is not a zombie game. It's a game where you defend against a bunch of living infected that are in the process of dying. The body shots lend to this as well. Zombies that die from body shots are again NOT zombies.
All in all, this is just how I see it. Nobody else has to agree with me that it's cheesing per se. I'm cool with people cheesing literally everything if they want to. I have. It's just another way to play the game. Technically, you are never entirely safe as cop spit, vulture spit, and other explosive elements can still hurt you. Some floating bases can reduce the chances of this, but I'm not sure they will eliminate it entirely.
More than anything though, just have fun with it. Do what you enjoy in game. Hell, if what you enjoy is activating god mode and blowing up a zillion zombies with the dev bomb, go for it. Level a few cities in that manner for all I care. Why do people even care to judge how others play the game anyways?
Edit: obviously, the comments about god mode is in regards to single player games.