Prime Highlights
- Midjourney has committed more than $74 million to launch Midjourney Medical, a new business focused on whole-body ultrasound imaging.
- The initiative has drawn attention from healthcare experts, with several radiologists questioning the technology’s clinical capabilities and supporting evidence.
Key Facts
- Midjourney plans to deploy 50,000 scanners globally by 2031 and aims to conduct up to one billion full-body scans per month.
- Under its agreement with Butterfly Network, Midjourney will pay a $15 million upfront fee, $10 million annually, and up to $9 million in milestone payments over five years.
Background
San Francisco based artificial intelligence lab Midjourney Inc is investing more than 74 million dollars to launch a new whole-body ultrasound scanning business, drawing criticism from radiologists who questioned the venture on social media.
Midjourney, known for its text-to-image generation tools and founded by David Holz, signed a deal with ultrasound manufacturer Butterfly Network last November and officially announced the launch of Midjourney Medical on June 18, with its first clinic planned for the Bay Area.
The company says its technology, called ultrasonic CT, will offer whole-body imaging it claims rivals MRI scans but takes as little as 60 seconds and involves no radiation or magnetic fields.
Midjourney plans to deploy 50,000 scanners worldwide over the next six years, aiming to perform a billion full-body scans monthly by 2031.
The first Midjourney Spa is set to open at the end of 2027, featuring hot tubs, saunas and scanning pools. Butterfly Network’s stock rose 33 percent following the announcement.
Under the agreement, Midjourney will pay Butterfly a one-time fee of 15 million dollars, an annual licensing fee of 10 million dollars, and up to 9 million dollars in milestone payments over five years.
Several radiologists raised doubts about the venture’s scientific basis. Francis Deng, a neuroradiologist at Johns Hopkins Medicine, said ultrasound technology faces fundamental limits penetrating bone and deep tissue, and questioned the company’s funding model.
Gennaro D’Anna, a neuroradiologist with CDI Centro Diagnostico Italiano in Milan, said the concept seemed promising but stressed that medicine relies on evidence rather than polished marketing videos.
Laura Heacock, a breast radiologist at NYU Langone Health, said the technology appeared promising but does not yet match the diagnostic quality of existing MRI, CT or ultrasound systems.