ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) – Keeping kids safe from cyberbullying and online threats — that's one tech company's goal, and this AI tool is now in a few YMCA locations across the area. Kidas ProtectMe software is an AI-powered voice and text tool meant to operate silently in the background. So, kids don't even know it's on there while playing video games. "Gaming companies would not want to admit it but there is bullying, there are scams, in those games," said Ron Kerbs the founder and CEO of Kidas. The tool can differentiate between cyberbullying and online threats from typical game speech. "If I'm playing a shooting game, it's pretty normal to say 'hey I'm going to kill you' or 'I'm going to shoot you,'" Kerbs said. Now, the Schottland and Maplewood YMCAs have the software installed on their devices."We wanted to make sure that we could be there to help support them," said Jeff Cogan the executive director of the Schottland Family YMCA, "but in a safe and guided way as they learn how to be safe themselves, online." Cogan says part of the Y's job is to help kids feel a sense of independence. And, as the digital world grows, the Y wanted to support kids while keeping them safe. "We're able to foster a community which is here in our branches and not at home in their bedrooms or in other places," he said, "that are learning to engage online and at the same time be with each other." He adds that the Y has invested significantly to implement this tech, but that keeping children safe is worth it. "We believe in it," said Cogan, "we believe in what the partnership will be able to do and continue to do for our young people, here in our community. So, we're happy to pick up the cost for it." On a quiet day, Cogan says, they get around 50 kids, but on a busy day — well over 100. Kerbs said, "By offering the software directly to schools, by offering the software directly to parents, we know that we're taking care of their incentives — we're protecting kids." Kerbs doesn't want people to think gaming is bad — just that kids should play safely.