Midjourney plans 50,000 ultrasound scanners by 2031

What happened

Midjourney partnered with ultrasound tech company Butterfly Network to develop a full-body scanner that uses half a million tiny ultrasound elements to create 3D images in about 60 seconds. So far, about a dozen people have been scanned. The company plans to deploy more than 50,000 scanners capable of one billion scans per month by 2031, with a third-generation scanner arriving in 2028.

Why it matters

Midjourney is moving beyond AI image generation into health technology, betting that ultrasound imaging could eventually replace MRI without needing radiation or magnets. The company is starting with body composition maps that don't require FDA approval, then plans to submit test results to the agency on a rolling basis to eventually offer diagnostic imaging—a move into the growing market for AI-powered health tools.

What to watch

The first spa is supposed to open by the end of 2027. That timing will clarify whether this is a real product or, as some skeptics suggest, vaporware. Midjourney claims that with enough early imaging, the world could avoid 30% of all deaths and 50% of all healthcare costs—an ambitious claim riding on whether the technology and deployment actually materialize.