AI safety experts keep warning about "crunch time" — that narrow window when humanity locks in the fundamental direction of AGI forever. Sounds ominous, right? Here's the kicker though: we'll probably only recognize we're living through it after it's already happened. By then, the irreversible decisions are done. Nobody rings a bell saying "this is it, decide now." You just wake up one day and realize you've already passed the point of no return.