This white paper draws on interdisciplinary academic knowledge and real-world examples to think through the parameters of debate about deception and empathy-based human-artificial intelligence (AI) partnering. While a common human reaction is to instinctively reject, and be repulsed by, the idea of deception in AI partners, this paper offers an overview and analysis of a wider range of positions on such deception before coming to a considered conclusion. Mindful that deception in relation to humans and in AI are broad topics, the paper draws on studies that examine deception in both human-human relationships and human-AI/robot relationships. The paper then considers deception in human-AI partnerships, drawing on IEEE P7014.1, Recommended Practice for Ethical Considerations of Emulated Empathy in Partner-based General-Purpose Artificial Intelligence Systems. This white paper is a first take at distilling the issues, bearing in mind that at the time of writing (late 2024), this recommended practice is still under development and the roll-out of human-AI partners displaying qualities of empathy is in flux