In the days of yore, becoming a coder involved years of study in college or ­university, or perhaps an intense bootcamp lasting months at a time that drilled participants in the basics of programming.

The first time I used ChatGPT to code, back in early 2023, I was reminded of “The Monkey’s Paw,” a classic horror story about an accursed talisman that grants wishes, but always by the most malevolent ...