Shares in the chip maker rose following news of SoftBank’s planned investment and a possible stake for the U.S. government.

Shining a Spotlight on Intel Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) has emerged from the shadows of its semiconductor rivals, capturing the attention of investors and policymakers alike. After years of struggling to keep pace with competitors like Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE:TSM),

The industry looks very different from when Intel was the clear leader. Nvidia and AMD dominate AI and data centers, while TSMC is the dominant foundry. Intel is now cast as the underdog.

The anecdotal side suggests that there have been some layoffs, 25,000 at Intel, 15,000 at Microsoft, but nothing else that comes close.

The ongoing US trade policy saga has revealed there are many ways for the administration to help a company's fortunes

Intel's rocky ties with TSMC, strained after Pat Gelsinger's "rude" Taiwan remarks and the loss of a key wafer discount, have left the chipmaker battling billions in foundry losses, mounting competition and leadership changes even as its stock rallies on fresh investment and government interest.

By extending the pool of RAM available to integrated graphics, Intel is positioning its systems to handle larger models that would otherwise be constrained. This may allow users to offload more of the model onto VRAM, reducing bottlenecks and improving stability when running AI tools.

The move is part of SoftBank's investing initiatives in the US, which also includes commitments towards AI computing. Intel, which has lagged behind in the chip race after being the erstwhile market leader,