Smart pointers are special types of pointers in programming that help manage memory automatically. Unlike regular pointers, which require manual memory management, smart pointers keep track of the memory they point to and automatically release it when it's no longer needed. This helps prevent memory leaks and makes code safer and easier to maintain. There are different types of smart pointers, such as unique_ptr, shared_ptr, and weak_ptr, each serving a specific purpose. For example, unique_ptr ensures that only one pointer can own a resource at a time, while shared_ptr allows multiple pointers to share ownership of the same resource.