BUSINESSES HELD FOR SALE AND DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Assets classified as held for sale			$ 7,850		$ 14,815
Liabilities classified as held for sale	[1]		911		4,158
Held for sale
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Assets classified as held for sale			4,096		1,745
Liabilities classified as held for sale			1,195		656
Discontinued operations
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Assets classified as held for sale			7,850		14,815
Liabilities classified as held for sale			$ 911		4,158
Industrial Solutions | Held for sale
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Assets classified as held for sale				$ 2,120
Liabilities classified as held for sale				546
Power | Held for sale
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Assets classified as held for sale					1,696
Liabilities classified as held for sale					$ 648
Proceeds from sale of business				$ 3,415
Scenario, Forecast | Discontinued operations | Lower limit
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Period of Transitional Service Agreements (TSA)		12 months
Scenario, Forecast | Discontinued operations | Maximum
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Period of Transitional Service Agreements (TSA)		24 months

[1] Our consolidated assets at June 30, 2017 included total assets of $5,851 million of certain variable interest entities (VIEs) that can only be used to settle the liabilities of those VIEs. These assets included current receivables and net financing receivables of $1,445 million and investment securities of $1,004 million within continuing operations and assets of discontinued operations of $285 million. Our consolidated liabilities at June 30, 2017 included liabilities of certain VIEs for which the VIE creditors do not have recourse to GE. These liabilities included non-recourse borrowings of consolidated securitization entities (CSEs) of $(682) million within continuing operations. See Note 17.