Disclosed herein is a method for determining whether to apply a lazy materialization technique to a query run. The method includes receiving a request to perform a new query in a columnar database containing a plurality of columns. A step in the method includes accessing a set of data in a column of the plurality of columns based on the query. The method includes generating an input to a machine-learned model comprising characteristics of the set of data in the column. From the machine-learned model, the method includes generating a likelihood value indicative of whether a filter of a first portion of the set of data in the column has greater efficiency than a download followed by a filter of the set of data in the column. The method further includes comparing the likelihood value to a threshold value. Based on the comparison, the method includes filtering the first portion of the set of data before downloading the set of data if the likelihood value is equal to or above the threshold value.