UK Firm Conflow Power Group to Deploy 50,000 AI-Powered Smart Lampposts in Nigeria

Summary

UK-based Conflow Power Group Limited has signed a formal agreement with a Nigerian state to deploy 50,000 solar-powered smart lampposts called iLamps, which the company claims will function as a distributed AI data centre. Each iLamp is equipped with NVIDIA's 15-watt AI chip, solar panels for energy generation, batteries for storage, and low-powered computers suitable for AI tasks. When networked together, CPG says the lampposts will collectively deliver the processing power of a traditional data centre while drawing no energy from the grid.

Beyond computational capacity, the iLamps will be fitted with AI-powered cameras capable of detecting parking violations, speeding vehicles, seatbelt non-compliance, and performing facial recognition to identify wanted or missing persons. The technology is already in pilot deployment at Warwick Hospital's car park in Warwickshire, with CPG pursuing additional deployments in Florida and negotiations with local authorities and schools.

However, industry experts have questioned whether the technology can serve as a meaningful alternative to traditional data centres. Data centre veteran Prof Ian Bitterlin told the BBC that distributed streetlight computing lacks the concentrated processing power and economies of scale needed for demanding AI workloads. CPG acknowledges physical security risks, including potential theft of the $2,000 units inside each lamppost, though the devices are designed to destroy the chip if tampered with. Privacy and surveillance concerns regarding facial recognition deployment remain unresolved.

• The deployment raises significant concerns about physical security, privacy, and potential misuse of facial recognition technology without robust regulatory oversight