Ah, the classic "argument from incredulity by implausible substrate".
Step 1: point out that any number of wacky scenarios can be isomorphic to a human brain - a person in a room transcribing symbols, an unlikely cloud of dust in space
Step 2: Note that the fantastically implausible scenario you've constructed is fantastically implausible. Redirect the implausibility into the thing you want to claim is impossible.
Step 3: Wave hands, make argument about consciousness/AI
In case of paper it's not implausible at all. It's just ignoring a necessary part of the system - a human that executes the process on paper.
I don't think it's any more implausible (that this is a conscious proccess) than saying both personalities of people with split personality are conscious.
Step 1: point out that any number of wacky scenarios can be isomorphic to a human brain - a person in a room transcribing symbols, an unlikely cloud of dust in space
Step 2: Note that the fantastically implausible scenario you've constructed is fantastically implausible. Redirect the implausibility into the thing you want to claim is impossible.
Step 3: Wave hands, make argument about consciousness/AI