Deception is not only a complex human phenomenon that has always interested philosophers and social scientists. It is also an opportunity widely exploited in many areas of technological design – and, in particular, in Artificial Intelligence and social robotics. This paper offers an ethical discussion on design practices aimed at maximising the quality of interactions between human and robots by deceiving users into perceiving robots as social actors. Deontological and consequentialist approaches are discussed, and their respective strengths and weaknesses are underlined. Finally, the ethical admissibility of self deception – i.e., of consciously engaging in fictional social relationships with robots – is examined.
