But the truth is, much of a company’s real value lies in intangible assets. These ‘soft assets’ include brand, customer relationships, data, contracts, and goodwill. As Megan Becwar of Dispute Economics LLC observes, “Intangible assets, or soft assets, are going to be all of the assets of a company that generate value but are not physical or financial in nature.”While these assets are often invisible on a balance sheet, they can make or break a company’s success. Firms investing in AI tools are essentially investing in new classes of intangible assets that build on traditional customer and brand data. Under the US tax code, many intangible assets can be amortized over 15 years, providing long-term tax savings that enhance overall value.