English would prefer killer child instead of child killer for the former because killer can behave as a qualifier.

Similarly, AI can act as a qualifier and while sports journalist is valid, any journalist writing about AI code, AI agent, AI whatever must realize what AI journalist sounds like

Not really... “AI journalist” might refer to a plain old astroturfing spambot, or to one piloting a reverse centaur, but it's still the same old spambot when it comes to it, and it'll still be spewing the same worthless slop, so the distinction is mostly moot, merely making the latter option a bit more tragic.