it's literally just that cats figure out that making noise draws our attention, and even better if they make a cute noise.

Babies are real dude

IIRC, it's more that they over time figure out what sounds and actions get their owner's attention. We respond better, unconsiously or otherwise when they meow at us.

My old cat figured out, before I did, that if she knocks shit off the coffee table I get up and check if her bowl is empty.

Generally wild/feral adult cats are more or less mute outside of anger/mating/territory calls, but domesticated cats keep their kitten vocalizations if we respond to them.

My current cat is very vocal and we responded playfully to his meowing as he grew up.

Edit: Here's a scientific american blog/article about it. I don't think it's something we have confirmation on, just a good hunch.

Yeah that seems really far fetched. Humans are generally bad at communicating with mostly body posture and scent. We have no tail to wiggle, no easily movable ears and no chance to use cat pheromones.

So naturally the cat has the best chance to get a response by using vocalication/sounds. It is just coincidence that their kittens do also mostly respond to sounds in their first weeks.

If meows sounded anything like human baby cries they would give me an instant headache and the desire to get rid of the cat

Just what an AI would say!

I got a cat that definitely lives with a baby at one point