Health

Midjourney想扫描你的身体，诊断不在其中

Midjourney在发布文章中设想，早期影像检查可避免30%的死亡；公司实际打造的扫描仪，用途只是绘制脂肪与肌肉分布；支撑这个更大故事的证据至今没有发表。

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In this storyMidjourneyBodySpec041830.KQCo-StarLeap MotionBFLY
Vincent JiangVincent Jiang · 3 min read
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大卫·霍尔茨坐在桌前，在一台小巧的Leap Motion传感器上方比划手势，联合创始人迈克尔·巴克瓦尔德在一旁观看
2013年，大卫·霍尔茨（中）与联合创始人迈克尔·巴克瓦尔德一同演示Leap Motion体感控制器，距Midjourney的扫描仪问世还有十余年。蓝色感应锥为《大众科学》配图。摄影：Cody Pickens／《大众科学》

7月，大卫·霍尔茨宣布了一笔占星应用收购，同时还在筹备一家会扫描你身体的SPA馆。他创办的Midjourney据报2024年收入3亿美元。1 卖图的生意给了他余地，去追求一件亲密得多的事。

医学层面的愿景远远超出第一款产品：这款产品意在测量身体成分，而非诊断疾病。

愿景大于产品

在6月发布的文章中，Midjourney设想的图景是：早期影像检查或许能避免30%的死亡和50%的医疗支出。8 这两个数字是就广义早期影像而言的推测，并非扫描仪已被证实的收益。文章也没有为这组估算提供任何支持性的结局研究（outcomes study）。

对一款从给脂肪和肌肉画分布图起步的产品来说，这份希望未免太重。

对手又便宜又快

这张分布图早已有市场价。BodySpec销售的DEXA（双能X线吸收法）扫描是身体成分测量的常用基准，单次耗时6至11分钟26，会员价40美元27。健身房里的InBody等生物电阻抗设备，15秒到两分钟便能完成。28 Midjourney披露，原型机耗时20多分钟，最终目标是一分钟。9

横向条形图，展示单次身体成分扫描所需时间：Midjourney原型机20多分钟（公司披露）；BodySpec的DEXA为6至11分钟；InBody生物电阻抗为15秒至2分钟；Midjourney最终目标1分钟，尚未实现。
若达成一分钟目标，Midjourney将追平健身房生物电阻抗的速度；眼下它比DEXA还慢。各技术原理与输出不同，因此这并非精度对比。资料来源：Midjourney《论医疗器械研发》，访问时间2026年9月10日；BodySpec；InBody。

扫描时长决定这门生意的经济账。按20分钟计算，一台扫描仪每小时最多接待三位顾客；接近一分钟目标后，扫描本身将不再是瓶颈。两个数字均出自公司口径，距计划中的2027年底开业还有一年多时间可以缩小差距。在那之前，扫描仪只能靠图像呈现的内容取胜。避开X射线算不上多大优势：BodySpec称，自家DEXA的辐射剂量约相当于四根香蕉。26

卖的是到店体验

一次身体扫描不等于健康结局；接下来怎么做，仍要有人拿主意。

这个决定正是生意变得别扭的地方。按Midjourney的描述，这家SPA馆就算没有扫描仪，人们也愿意光顾，扫描只是体验的附带环节。8 公司完全可能在证实反复扫描能改善健康之前，就先让顾客不断回访。只要健康故事还在帮着卖到店体验，这一区别就不能忽视。

收购占星应用Co-Star，正契合这一消费雄心。21 霍尔茨说，巴努·古勒和她的团队将加强Midjourney全线的产品与设计。20 打造让人愿意再来的体验是实打实的专长，可这些身体数据究竟意味着什么，它给不出答案。

如果扫出了问题

假如未来版本开始提示可能存在疾病，就必须有人解读结果、安排随访并承担成本。美国放射学会警告，对没有症状或相关风险因素的人做全身MRI筛查，可能引发不必要的进一步检查，且延寿益处尚未确立。15,16 这是来自MRI的证据，并非针对这款超声设备的结论，但它解释了为什么单靠更快的扫描，完不成医疗这件事。

霍尔茨如何回应质疑

面对质疑者，霍尔茨拿得出像样的答案。他此前在Leap Motion做过硬件。19 Butterfly Network的年报证实，Midjourney为超声技术支付了1500万美元预付款。10,11 Midjourney公开限定初始用途，并称志愿者影像采集设有伦理监督。9 这种监督保护的是研究参与者，并不等于独立的性能验证。

收窄首款产品的定位是明智之举。问题在于，在发表支持这套叙事的证据之前，就要一款定位如此窄的产品，扛起如此宏大的健康叙事。

三行表格。健康结局：避免30%死亡和50%医疗支出属推测性愿景，未提供结局研究；疾病检测：并非首款产品的预期用途，未发表任何证据；身体成分：计划中的首个用途，仅有公司披露，尚无独立精度数据。
每一层雄心都需要各自的证据。截至2026年9月10日，Midjourney只公布了第一级的公司披露，顶层愿景尚无任何结局研究。资料来源：Midjourney发布文章与研发披露。

接下来看什么

在计划中的2027年底开业之前，留意是否出现针对身体成分精度的独立评估。此后任何诊断或健康收益方面的主张，都需要与扩展用途相匹配的证据。真正有用的里程碑，是顾客有充分依据、能放心据此行动的结果。

等霍尔茨的SPA馆开门营业，盯住一件事：这次扫描能让顾客做出什么决定。

How this brief was made

01Gathered & sourced328 channels · 1,737 articles▾

Agents swept 328 channels and ingested 1,737 articles, then de-duplicated and ranked them for signal.

02Verified & cross-validated28 claims · 22 data feeds▾

Every one of 28 load-bearing claims was checked against primary sources, with 22 live data feeds reconciling the figures and charts.

  1. 1Forbes, Midjourney company profile, updated Apr 16 2026 (2024 revenue via PitchBook; profitability; not audited).
  2. 2The Information, 2023 (expected $200M revenue; a forecast, not a result).
  3. 3The Information, Mar 2026 (founder says revenue significantly above $200M; no precise figure).
  4. 4Sacra, Midjourney profile (2023 ARR estimate; internally inconsistent, not relied on).
  5. 5DemandSage, Midjourney Statistics 2026 (daily-user range; no current measurement period).
  6. 6Skim AI, Jun 2024 (older provenance for the user range, describing Nov 2023).
  7. 7Official Midjourney Discord listing (members and online counts, not daily usage).
  8. 8Midjourney, “A New Era of Midjourney,” Jun 2026 launch essay (scanner vision; 30% / 50% projections; spa concept).
  9. 9Midjourney, “On Medical Device Development,” accessed Sep 10 2026 (20+ min vs 1 min goal; body-composition first use; ethics oversight).
  10. 10Butterfly Network Form 8-K, filed Nov 17 2025 ($15M upfront, $10M annual licensing, conditional milestones).
  11. 11Butterfly Network 2025 Form 10-K, Feb 2026 (confirms the $15M upfront payment was made).
  12. 12Butterfly Network press release, Jun 2026 (40 Ultrasound-on-Chip modules per prototype; supplier, not independent validation).
  13. 13FDA, Section 513(g) procedures guidance, Aug 2024 (a 513(g) response is not clearance or approval).
  14. 14FDA, General Wellness: Policy for Low Risk Devices, Jan 2026 (regulatory context).
  15. 15American College of Radiology, statement on total-body MRI screening, Apr 17 2023.
  16. 16Kwee & Kwee, preventive whole-body MRI systematic review, 2019 (incidental findings; limited verification).
  17. 17Preventive MRI management strategies and clinical implications, 2021 (treatment-triggering findings; counterevidence).
  18. 18Chen et al., Cochrane whole-body MRI/CT screening protocol, Aug 25 2026 (a protocol, not a completed review).
  19. 19The Register, David Holz interview, Aug 1 2022 (Leap Motion hardware background).
  20. 20Midjourney, “Midjourney's First Acquisition,” Jul 23 2026 (Co-Star; Banu Guler's product and design role).
  21. 21Bloomberg, Jul 24 2026 (Midjourney buys astrology app Co-Star; terms undisclosed).
  22. 22Midjourney, “Edit Model for V8,” Aug 27 2026 (image business still shipping).
  23. 23r/medicine discussion of Midjourney's scanner, Jun 2026 (follow-up ownership; not clinical evidence).
  24. 24TechCrunch, Sep 5 2025 (Warner Bros. suit; Midjourney's fair-use defense; no judgment).
  25. 25TechCrunch, Aug 22 2025 (Meta licenses Midjourney technology; licensing, not equity).
  26. 26BodySpec, DEXA FAQ (scan takes 6 to 11 minutes; appointment under 15; dose from 0.4 microsieverts, likened to eating four bananas).
  27. 27BodySpec, “What's the Real Cost of a DEXA Scan?,” Jan 6 2026 (as low as $40 with a membership).
  28. 28InBody FAQ (a bioimpedance test lasts 15 to 120 seconds, depending on model).
03Reviewed & edited1 human editor▾

One editor read the draft against the evidence, tuned the framing, and signed off before it shipped.

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