There's also the 'matter' of non-matter - i.e possibility. All our actions are accompanied by alternative possibilities that didn't happen - but very easily could have. Covid is a great example - could have never happened if scientist weren't fucking around doing risky experiments - but they were - so the whole trajectory of humanity was altered. What happens to that trajectory that was de-railed - the one where scientist didn't fuck it up? Does it still exist? I'd argue that it does.

These accompanying infinite possibilities exist in a state of pre-existence - waiting to exist - or not. My very limited understanding of quantum mechanics suggests that this is how it works - the idea of the 'probability field' - alive with possibilities - that only become manifest when they are observed to have happened. Doesn't mean the non-happpened possibilities don't exist - they do - just not in a manifest form.

To connect that with the 'amount' of AI in existence in an infinite universe - although there is infinite potential for AI entities to exist - doesn't mean there is an infinite amount that exists manifestly.

I've always thought this! We make choices, things happen, but there is always a layer of reality of potential, and that reality is no less transient that what we observe. A day-to-day example of this is if I'm driving a bit too aggressively and narrowly avoid a catastrophe. On one level, that catastrophe did happen. That's why I feel bad later, because I know that on some level I did do damage, the accident did happen.

But I agree with your points. What we observe is the manifestation of the tip of the iceberg of what is actually happening. No, that's not a good analogy. We're observing one potential of reality based on our decisions and actions combined with those of everyone else's. It's a snapshot.

Now if we were back at Formosa Hut with a few glasses of mead - we could really get to the bottom of this ...

Damn straight!