diff --git a/config_convert/utils/type_inference.py b/config_convert/utils/type_inference.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4c1afba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config_convert/utils/type_inference.py
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+"""Smart type inference utilities for converting string values to Python types."""
+
+import re
+from typing import Any, Optional, Union
+
+
+BOOLEAN_TRUE_VALUES = {"true", "yes", "on", "1"}
+BOOLEAN_FALSE_VALUES = {"false", "no", "off", "0"}
+
+
+def detect_type(value: str) -> str:
+    """Detect the type of a string value."""
+    value_lower = value.lower().strip()
+
+    if value_lower == "null" or value_lower == "~" or value_lower == "":
+        return "null"
+
+    if re.match(r"^-?\d+$", value):
+        return "integer"
+
+    if re.match(r"^-?\d+\.\d+$", value):
+        return "float"
+
+    if re.match(r"^-?\d+\.?\d*[eE][+-]?\d+$", value):
+        return "float"
+
+    if value_lower in BOOLEAN_TRUE_VALUES or value_lower in BOOLEAN_FALSE_VALUES:
+        return "boolean"
+
+    if value.startswith("[") and value.endswith("]"):
+        return "array"
+
+    return "string"
+
+
+def convert_value(value: str) -> Any:
+    """Convert a string value to its inferred Python type."""
+    detected_type = detect_type(value)
+
+    if detected_type == "boolean":
+        return value.lower() in BOOLEAN_TRUE_VALUES
+    elif detected_type == "null":
+        return None
+    elif detected_type == "integer":
+        return int(value)
+    elif detected_type == "float":
+        return float(value)
+    elif detected_type == "array":
+        return parse_array(value)
+    else:
+        return value
+
+
+def parse_array(value: str) -> list:
+    """Parse a string representation of an array."""
+    content = value.strip()[1:-1]
+    if not content:
+        return []
+
+    items = []
+    current = ""
+    in_string = False
+    depth = 0
+
+    for char in content:
+        if char == '"' and not in_string:
+            in_string = True
+            current += char
+        elif char == '"' and in_string:
+            in_string = False
+            current += char
+        elif char == "," and not in_string and depth == 0:
+            items.append(current.strip())
+            current = ""
+        else:
+            if char == "[":
+                depth += 1
+            elif char == "]":
+                depth -= 1
+            current += char
+
+    if current:
+        items.append(current.strip())
+
+    result = []
+    for item in items:
+        if item.startswith('"') and item.endswith('"'):
+            result.append(item[1:-1])
+        else:
+            result.append(convert_value(item))
+
+    return result
+
+
+def infer_types(data: Any) -> Any:
+    """Recursively infer types in nested structures."""
+    if isinstance(data, dict):
+        return {key: infer_types(value) for key, value in data.items()}
+    elif isinstance(data, list):
+        return [infer_types(item) for item in data]
+    elif isinstance(data, str):
+        return convert_value(data)
+    else:
+        return data