I do not need to update, actually.
All I need to do is check if an identical record already exists and INSERT if not, else move onto the next 'candidate record' to insert.
I will have multiple CPUs all generating candidates for insertion into the table but the records must be unique.
I know Postgres will tell me if I try to create a duplicate record on a field I have set to UNIQUE, but I am not sure exactly how to check for that in Perl and make sure the script continues rather than dies.
Incorporating the 'dbh-per-thread/process' idea,
the pseudo-code would go something like:

foreach $CPU (@CPUs) {
    
    create dbh for this CPU;
    prepare_cached SELECT;
    prepare_cached INSERT;

    foreach combination { # criterion have affinity with CPU core
                          # so criterion is always unique to CPU
        generate row-data; # 
        check if row already exists; # what the SELECT sth is for
        if not then {
            insert new row; # what the INSERT sth is for
        }
    }
}
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