From image generator to health tool: Why Midjourney is now developing a body scanner

To date, the Midjourney image generation tool has primarily been used to create creative illustrations, stylized portraits or photorealistic scenes. However, as the company has now announced, the newly founded Midjourney Medical department is working on the development of the first hardware product, the Midjourney Scanner.

This is an ultrasound-based whole-body scanner that uses underwater sensors to record vertical sections of the inside of the body and thus record the composition of muscles, fat, bones and organs. According to CEO David Holz, the scanner could even exceed the capabilities of MRI machines in the future.

Midjourney wants to open its own spas

“Whether we talk to doctors or AI systems, what we do with our health ultimately depends on our data and awareness of our bodies,” says Midjourney’s website. The new body scanner is intended to provide exactly this data. “In a near and ideal future, we will use this information and watch how it changes over time.”

According to the company, to scan, users step onto a platform that sinks into the water and generates ultrasonic waves. The captured data is then processed into detailed 3D images. The entire process should only take around 60 seconds and require a combined computing power of two petaflops.

The devices will initially be installed in wellness centers, which Midjourney calls “Midjourney Spas”. Ten scanning devices are to be installed at the first location, which is scheduled to open in San Francisco at the end of 2027. In addition, the spa will have whirlpools, saunas and cold water pools.

In several job advertisements, the company describes its goal as “developing and bringing to market the world’s first full-body ultrasound CT scanner, ultimately providing billions of people with safe, rapid, and highly accurate health screenings through a magical spa experience.” As The Verge reports, the scanner was developed together with the ultrasound technology company Butterfly Network.

The goal is a healthier lifestyle

The company’s plans are ambitious: the aim is to gather practical experience in the first spa. From 2028, Midjourney plans to expand into additional cities and switch to a third-generation scanner whose semiconductors will be completely customized – with significantly improved image quality and shorter scan times.

“Our goal at Midjourney Medical is to deploy approximately 50,000 of these scanners worldwide over the next six years and to use this fleet of sensors to perform one billion full-body scans each month,” the website says. As The Verge reports, CEO David Holz suggested during the live presentation that the scans could even be more powerful than an MRI in the future.

Many medical applications require approval from the FDA, the US agency that ensures the safety of food and medical devices. However, Midjourney Medical is currently concentrating on so-called “body composition maps”, which are not subject to the same approval standards as a diagnostic examination. The user data collected should be able to be shared with doctors and AI health tools, for example.

“We take data protection seriously – more details about our privacy policies will follow as we get closer to launch,” emphasized Holz at the presentation, according to The Verge. However, what specific connection Midjourney’s AI image generation has to the new project remains unclear for the time being.