The move could be seen as a vote of confidence for Intel, which has been playing catch-up in an industry that has chased the artificial intelligence boom.

Intel (INTC) shares are surging 6% in premarket trading Tuesday on news that Japan's SoftBank Group is making a $2 billion investment in the struggling U.S. chipmaker. SoftBank will pay $23 for each Intel share,

Intel has secured a crucial $2 billion lifeline from Japanese investment conglomerate SoftBank, marking a significant intervention that comes at a turning point for the struggling American chip giant.