Midjourney, the AI image-generation startup, has released a behind-the-scenes video of its futuristic medical scanner, yet skepticism persists. The nearly 20-minute tour, produced by tech YouTuber and company engineer Marcin Plaza, shows a dunk-tank ultrasound device planned for deployment in spas. It aims to offer cheap, detailed, radiation-free imaging, but concrete proof of its functionality remains scarce.
Plaza candidly described the scanner as scores of ultrasound probes “hacked apart and slapped on a glorified hot tub with an elevator in it.” The system runs on off-the-shelf computers and Raspberry Pi boards, according to him. This frank admission has not dispelled doubts about whether the prototype can deliver meaningful medical results.
The Verge reports that Midjourney has yet to share peer-reviewed data or clinical trial results for the device. A scan of an imaging phantom was shown in the video, used to validate how cleanly structures separate under controlled conditions. But this single validation step is far from the rigorous testing typically required for medical equipment.
Without independent verification or clearance from regulators like the FDA, the scanner’s path to real-world impact is unclear. Midjourney hopes the device will transform medicine, but experts caution that consumer-grade ultrasound often lacks the diagnostic precision of clinical machines. The company’s track record in AI imagery does little to guarantee success in the highly regulated medical field.
Critics argue the video is more marketing than science, leaving many questions unanswered about safety and efficacy. Midjourney has not commented on plans for clinical trials or regulatory approval.