With the global development of oil and gas resources shifting increasingly toward low-permeability，ultra-low-permeability，and ultra-deep complex reservoirs，traditional oilfield chemicals are facing significant challenges in terms of dynamic adaptability and tolerance to extreme environmental conditions. Environmentally responsive smart materials trigger autonomous performance regulation by sensing changes in reservoir environmental parameters，achieving a leap from“passive resistance”to “active adaptation”. These materials have emerged as key technologies for ensuring efficient drilling operations and enhancing hydrocarbon recovery. This paper focused on four categories of responsive smart materials，namely，temperature-responsive，shape memory，CO₂-responsive，and magneto-responsive materials. their response mechanisms and performance characteristics was reviewed，and the current state of their applications in areas such as drilling fluid rheology control，fracture adaptive plugging， intelligent oil displacement stimulation and efficient treatment of produced fluids was presented. Furthermore，the critical challenges facing the application of these materials in oil and gas development was discussed and the future prospects for their advancement was explored.