The author of the text has created a Lambda layer for an optimized version of the AWS SDK, which enables HTTP keep-alive and reduces latency. The layer is available at a specific ARN and can be included in projects using various frameworks such as Serverless or SAM. To manage the rollout and update of layers, the author has published an autodeploy-layer app that automatically adds the layer to functions in a region, allowing for easy deployment and maintenance. The app supports filtering by tags, enabling users to control which functions receive the specified layer. New versions of the optimized-aws-sdk layer will be published when the AWS SDK is updated, and can be rolled out to opted-in functions by redeploying the autodeploy-layer app with the updated ARN.