Google is using machine learning to sort good apps from bad on the Play Store

Security on Android has always been a challenge for Google due to the operating system's open nature. But in recent years, the company has been gaining ground in its fight against malware and exploits, thanks in part to the use of machine learning and AI to spot problem apps before users install them. Today, the company has described in detail how it's using one technique -- known as peer grouping -- to help keep the Play Store purely playful. Peer grouping is a pretty simple idea. By comparing data about apps that perform similar tasks, say Google's engineers, they can identify the ones with something to hide.