DEBT (Details - Total debt outstanding) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 34,540	$ 31,640
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	34,540	31,640
2019	1,388
2020	1,490
2021	1,913
2022	1,558
2023	1,715
Thereafter	18,072
Long-term debt excluding borrowings of consolidated investments	26,136
Uncollateralized and collateralized notes, bonds, loans and mortgages payable	499
Collateral posted	1,700	2,900
Other Subsidiaries
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	11,116	9,441
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	11,116	9,441
Uncollateralized Notes/Bonds/Loans Payable
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	333
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	333
Collateralized Loans and Mortgages Payable
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	166
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	166
Notes and bonds payable | Uncollateralized Notes/Bonds/Loans Payable | AIGLH
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 282	281
Debt Instrument, Maturity, Start year	2025
Debt Instrument, Maturity, End Year	2029
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	$ 282	281
2019	0
2020	0
2021	0
2022	0
2023	0
Thereafter	282
Notes and bonds payable | Uncollateralized Notes/Bonds/Loans Payable | Validus Holdings, Ltd
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 359	0
Debt Instrument, Maturity, End Year	2040
Interest rate (as a percent)	8.88%
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	$ 359	0
2019	0
2020	0
2021	0
2022	0
2023	0
Thereafter	$ 359
Notes and bonds payable | Uncollateralized Notes/Bonds/Loans Payable | Maximum | AIGLH
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percent)	7.50%
Notes and bonds payable | Uncollateralized Notes/Bonds/Loans Payable | Minimum | AIGLH
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percent)	6.63%
Junior subordinated debt | Uncollateralized Notes/Bonds/Loans Payable | AIGLH
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 361	361
Debt Instrument, Maturity, Start year	2030
Debt Instrument, Maturity, End Year	2046
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	$ 361	361
2019	0
2020	0
2021	0
2022	0
2023	0
Thereafter	$ 361
Junior subordinated debt | Uncollateralized Notes/Bonds/Loans Payable | Maximum | AIGLH
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percent)	8.50%
Junior subordinated debt | Uncollateralized Notes/Bonds/Loans Payable | Minimum | AIGLH
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percent)	7.57%
Other subsidiaries notes, bonds, loans and mortgages payable
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 168
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	168
2019	117
2020	1
2021	42
2022	1
2023	1
Thereafter	6
Debt issued or guaranteed
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	25,968	25,421
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	25,968	25,421
2019	1,271
2020	1,489
2021	1,871
2022	1,557
2023	1,714
Thereafter	18,066
Uncollateralized Notes/Bonds/Loans Payable
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	23,734	22,156
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	23,734	22,156
2019	999
2020	1,458
2021	1,714
2022	1,509
2023	1,599
Thereafter	16,455
Uncollateralized Notes/Bonds/Loans Payable | Notes and bonds payable
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 20,853	20,339
Debt Instrument, Maturity, Start year	2019
Debt Instrument, Maturity, End Year	2097
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	$ 20,853	20,339
2019	999
2020	1,344
2021	1,497
2022	1,509
2023	1,599
Thereafter	$ 13,905
Uncollateralized Notes/Bonds/Loans Payable | Notes and bonds payable | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percent)	8.13%
Uncollateralized Notes/Bonds/Loans Payable | Notes and bonds payable | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percent)	0.00%
Uncollateralized Notes/Bonds/Loans Payable | Subordinated debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 0	0
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	0	0
2019	0
2020	0
Uncollateralized Notes/Bonds/Loans Payable | Junior subordinated debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 1,548	841
Debt Instrument, Maturity, Start year	2037
Debt Instrument, Maturity, End Year	2058
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	$ 1,548	841
Thereafter	$ 1,548
Uncollateralized Notes/Bonds/Loans Payable | Junior subordinated debt | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percent)	8.63%
Uncollateralized Notes/Bonds/Loans Payable | Junior subordinated debt | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percent)	4.88%
Uncollateralized Notes/Bonds/Loans Payable | AIG Japan Holdings Kabushiki Kaisha
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 331	334
Debt Instrument, Maturity, Start year	2020
Debt Instrument, Maturity, End Year	2021
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	$ 331	334
2019	0
2020	114
2021	217
2022	0
2023	$ 0
Uncollateralized Notes/Bonds/Loans Payable | AIG Japan Holdings Kabushiki Kaisha | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percent)	0.44%
Uncollateralized Notes/Bonds/Loans Payable | AIG Japan Holdings Kabushiki Kaisha | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percent)	0.28%
Borrowings supported by assets
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 2,234	3,265
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	2,234	3,265
2019	272
2020	31
2021	157
2022	48
2023	115
Thereafter	1,611
Collateral posted	1,500	2,000
Borrowings supported by assets | Notes and bonds payable
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 49	181
Debt Instrument, Maturity, Start year	2030
Debt Instrument, Maturity, End Year	2040
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	$ 49	181
2019	0
2020	0
2021	0
2022	0
2023	0
Thereafter	$ 49
Borrowings supported by assets | Notes and bonds payable | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percent)	9.97%
Borrowings supported by assets | Notes and bonds payable | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percent)	0.50%
Borrowings supported by assets | Notes and bonds payable | Series AIGFP
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 21	21
Debt Instrument, Maturity, Start year	2046
Debt Instrument, Maturity, End Year	2047
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	$ 21	21
2019	0
2020	0
2021	0
2022	0
2023	0
Thereafter	$ 21
Borrowings supported by assets | Notes and bonds payable | Series AIGFP | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percent)	2.75%
Borrowings supported by assets | Notes and bonds payable | Series AIGFP | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percent)	2.69%
Borrowings supported by assets | MIP notes payable
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 0	356
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	0	356
2019	0
Borrowings supported by assets | GIAs
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 2,164	2,707
Debt Instrument, Maturity, Start year	2019
Debt Instrument, Maturity, End Year	2053
Interest rate (as a percent)	7.62%
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	$ 2,164	2,707
2019	272
2020	31
2021	157
2022	48
2023	115
Thereafter	$ 1,541
Borrowings supported by assets | GIAs | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percent)	7.62%
Borrowings supported by assets | GIAs | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percent)	0.50%
Debt not guaranteed
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 8,572	6,219
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	8,572	6,219
Debt not guaranteed | Other subsidiaries notes, bonds, loans and mortgages payable
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 168	190
Debt Instrument, Maturity, Start year	2019
Debt Instrument, Maturity, End Year	2024
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	$ 168	190
Debt not guaranteed | Other subsidiaries notes, bonds, loans and mortgages payable | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percent)	4.73%
Debt not guaranteed | Other subsidiaries notes, bonds, loans and mortgages payable | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percent)	2.68%
Debt not guaranteed | Debt of consolidated investments
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 8,404	6,029
Debt Instrument, Maturity, Start year	2019
Debt Instrument, Maturity, End Year	2067
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	$ 8,404	6,029
Debt not guaranteed | Debt of consolidated investments | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percent)	10.30%
Debt not guaranteed | Debt of consolidated investments | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percent)	0.00%
Debt not guaranteed | Debt of consolidated investments | Real Estate and Investment Funds [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 3,700	2,500
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	3,700	2,500
Debt not guaranteed | Debt of consolidated investments | Affordable Housing Partnership [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	1,800	1,800
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	1,800	1,800
Debt not guaranteed | Debt of consolidated investments | Other
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	2,900	1,700
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	$ 2,900	$ 1,700