In this paper, Bee Colony (BC) algorithm based tuning of the proportional, integral and derivative (PID) controller is proposed. The novelty of the proposed method is enhanced searching ability, reliability and suitable for complex problems. Here, the proposed method is used to optimize the proportional, integral and derivative gains of the PID controller based on the output power variation from the input power. With the optimized gains, PID controller determines the control output to reduce the error between the actual and reference value of the instantaneous input power. This instantaneous input reference is computed with the aid of Radial Basis Function Network (RBFN). In the presented work, the topology of the AC to DC power converter is modelled and controlled with BC optimized PID controller. The performance of the proposed BC-PID controller for AC to DC converter is analyzed in terms of power factor correction and efficiency. The validation of the proposed control algorithm is performed on MATLAB/Simulink working platform and the effectiveness of the proposed method is analyzed by using the comparison analysis with the existing techniques. © 2017 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.