Dawgen Decodes Data Gravity: Conquering the Hidden Force That Slows AI Ambitions

Part of the “Dawgen Decodes” thought-leadership series for Caribbean decision-makers

Why Your Fastest Algorithm Still Crawls

Modern AI depends on moving oceans of data to—and from—the models that need it. Yet as datasets swell, a powerful but often ignored phenomenon takes hold: Data Gravity. Coined by technologist Dave McCrory, the term describes how large data masses “pull” applications and services toward them, making every byte harder, slower, and costlier to move.

Digital Realty’s State of Data & AI in the Americas highlights the impact:

• 62 % of enterprises already run workloads in up to ten different sites, but

• 55 % say “unreliable interconnection” between those sites is the AI bottleneck, and

• 63 % rank “insufficient storage for massive datasets” as their #1 infrastructure pain-point.

Result: brilliant models linger in pilot limbo while data piles up—immovable, inaccessible, and un-monetised.

1 | How Data Gravity Cripples AI Timelines

Digital Realty’s survey shows that firms able to monetise trained AI models (51 %) are the same firms that place compute “closest to data and users”. In other words, conquering Data Gravity unlocks cash flow.

2 | Physics 101: Why Data Attracts … More Data

Just like planetary gravity, Data Gravity grows with mass:

1. Attraction — Every new dataset attracts related datasets (logs, backups, derivatives).

2. Accretion — Apps and services migrate toward the heaviest mass to avoid latency.

3. Lock-in — Moving the mass becomes exponentially harder—technically and financially.

Unmanaged, the cycle repeats until storage, bandwidth, and compliance burst at the seams.

3 | Winning Strategies from Data-Gravity Trailblazers

4 | Caribbean Context — Turning Isolation into Advantage

Island nations face unique gravity multipliers: pricey bandwidth, hurricane disruptions, and fresh privacy laws. Yet those same constraints amplify the benefits of conquering Data Gravity:

• Local processing cuts FX-denominated egress bills.

• On-island replicas keep payment, SCADA, and tele-health live when storms snap cables.

• Jurisdictional residency becomes a competitive trust badge for tourists and investors.

5 | Dawgen Global’s Five-Step Gravity Neutraliser™

6 | Case Snapshot — Retailer Cuts Checkout Latency 72 %

A Jamaican omnichannel retailer saw cart-abandon spikes during flash sales. Product, price, and loyalty data lived in a distant cloud—classic gravity stall.

Dawgen fix:

• Micro-edge node above flagship store.

• Event-driven sync of loyalty and inventory deltas overnight.

• Containerised recommendation model deployed on-site.

Outcome: latency on promo days fell from 1.4 s to 0.39 s; conversion rate up 8.3 %; monthly egress spend down 27 %.

7 | Key Questions for CIOs & CFOs

1. Where does your heaviest data reside—and why?

2. What is the $/GB to move it?

3. Which models truly need the full dataset, and which can travel light?

4. Can you prove compliance lineage for every copy, everywhere?

If any answer causes hesitation, Data Gravity is already costing you money.

Conclusion — Beat Gravity, Bank the Gains

Data Gravity is unavoidable physics—unless you architect for it. Enterprises that distribute smartly, move compute not data, and automate governance will:

• Release AI models from pilot jail.

• Slash latency-driven churn.

• Monetise insights while rivals rewrite network diagrams.

Ready to Defy Data Gravity?

At Dawgen Global we help you make Smarter and More Effective Decisions. From gravity audits to edge-ready GPU pods, our architects, analysts, and governance pros neutralise the drag so your AI ambitions take flight.

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