A data storage system having non-volatile media, a buffer memory, a processing device, and a data pre-fetcher. The data pre-fetcher receives commands to be executed in the data storage system, provides the commands as input to a predictive model, obtains at least one command identified for pre-fetching, as output from the predictive model having the commands as input. Prior to the command being executed in the data storage device, the data pre-fetcher retrieves, from the non-volatile memory, at least a portion of data to be used in execution of the command; and stores the portion of data in the buffer memory. The retrieving and storing the portion of the data can be performed concurrently with the execution of many commands before the execution of the command, to reduce the latency impact of the command on other commands that are executed concurrently with the execution of the command.