INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH OUTSTANDING DEBT (Details - Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 61	$ (7,818)	$ 3,502
Cash flows from investing activities:
Sales of investments	62,312	76,540	74,537
Sale of divested businesses, net	10	792	2,809
Purchase of investments	(58,552)	(63,246)	(69,985)
Loans to subsidiaries - net	0	0	0
Contributions from (to) subsidiaries - net	0	0	0
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash and restricted cash acquired	(5,717)	0	0
Net change in restricted cash	0	0	0
Net change in short-term investments	1,524	2,098	(3,089)
Other, net	200	(2,143)	(1,020)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(223)	14,041	3,252
Cash flows from financing activities:
Issuance of long-term debt	4,734	3,356	5,954
Repayments of long-term debt	(3,672)	(3,698)	(4,082)
Purchase of common stock	(1,739)	(6,275)	(11,460)
Intercompany loans - net	0	0	0
Cash dividends paid	(1,138)	(1,172)	(1,372)
Other, net	2,609	2,092	4,127
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	794	(5,697)	(6,833)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and restricted cash	(11)	(29)	55
Change in cash and restricted cash	621	497	(24)
Cash and restricted cash at beginning of year	2,737	2,107	2,238
Change in cash of businesses held for sale				$ 0	$ 133	$ (107)
Cash and restricted cash at end of year	3,358	2,737	2,107
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents, Including Disposal Group and Discontinued Operations [Abstract]
Cash				2,873	2,362	1,868
Short-term investments, restricted cash				142	58	46
Restricted cash included in Other assets				343	317	193
Total cash and restricted cash shown in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows	3,358	2,737	2,107	3,358	2,737	2,107	$ 2,238
Interest:
Third party	(1,312)	(1,282)	(1,331)
Intercompany	0	0	0
Taxes:
Income tax authorities	(154)	(544)	(493)
Intercompany	0	0	0
Non-cash financing and investing activities:
Fixed maturity securities received in exchange for equity securities	0	0	440
AIG (As Guarantor)
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	1,256	36	2,112
Cash flows from investing activities:
Sales of investments	5,587	5,821	5,769
Sale of divested businesses, net	0	40	2,160
Purchase of investments	(1,980)	(2,465)	(1,002)
Loans to subsidiaries - net	868	199	1,525
Contributions from (to) subsidiaries - net	1	2,446	1,637
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash and restricted cash acquired	(5,475)
Net change in restricted cash	1,533	1,994	(1,170)
Net change in short-term investments	1,533	1,994	(1,170)
Other, net	(73)	(183)	(141)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	461	7,852	8,778
Cash flows from financing activities:
Issuance of long-term debt	2,470	1,505	3,831
Repayments of long-term debt	(1,493)	(1,724)	(1,996)
Purchase of common stock	(1,739)	(6,275)	(11,460)
Intercompany loans - net	90	(63)	3
Cash dividends paid	(1,138)	(1,172)	(1,372)
Other, net	212	(154)	(309)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(1,598)	(7,883)	(11,303)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and restricted cash	0	0	0
Change in cash and restricted cash	119	5	(413)
Cash and restricted cash at beginning of year	8	3	416
Change in cash of businesses held for sale					0	0
Cash and restricted cash at end of year	127	8	3
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents, Including Disposal Group and Discontinued Operations [Abstract]
Cash				2	3	2
Short-term investments, restricted cash				124	4	0
Restricted cash included in Other assets				1	1	1
Total cash and restricted cash shown in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows	8	8	3	127	8	3	416
Interest:
Third party	(914)	(948)	(975)
Intercompany	1	0	2
Taxes:
Income tax authorities	(32)	(329)	(15)
Intercompany	895	614	479
Non-cash financing and investing activities:
Return of capital	2,706	26	0
Dividends received in the form of securities	745	735	5,234
Capital contributions	2,369	259	3,245
Fixed maturity securities received in exchange for equity securities	0	0	440
Non-cash consideration received from sale	0	0	1,101
Validus Holdings, Ltd
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	656
Cash flows from investing activities:
Sales of investments	13
Sale of divested businesses, net	0
Purchase of investments	0
Loans to subsidiaries - net	0
Contributions from (to) subsidiaries - net	0
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash and restricted cash acquired	112
Net change in short-term investments	0
Other, net	0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	125
Cash flows from financing activities:
Issuance of long-term debt	0
Repayments of long-term debt	(350)
Purchase of common stock	0
Intercompany loans - net	0
Cash dividends paid	(6)
Other, net	(416)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(772)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and restricted cash	0
Change in cash and restricted cash	9
Cash and restricted cash at beginning of year	0
Cash and restricted cash at end of year	9	0
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents, Including Disposal Group and Discontinued Operations [Abstract]
Cash				9
Short-term investments, restricted cash				0
Restricted cash included in Other assets				0
Total cash and restricted cash shown in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows	0	0		9	0
Interest:
Third party	(17)	0	0
Intercompany	0
Taxes:
Income tax authorities	0
Intercompany	0
AIGLH
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	2,445	1,413	1,707
Cash flows from investing activities:
Sales of investments	0	0	0
Sale of divested businesses, net	0	0	0
Purchase of investments	0	0	0
Loans to subsidiaries - net	0	0	0
Contributions from (to) subsidiaries - net	0	0	0
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash and restricted cash acquired	0
Net change in short-term investments	0	0	0
Other, net	0	(5)	0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	0	(5)	0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Issuance of long-term debt	0	0	0
Repayments of long-term debt	0	0	(63)
Purchase of common stock	0	0	0
Intercompany loans - net	0	0	(3)
Cash dividends paid	(2,456)	(1,422)	(1,723)
Other, net	0	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(2,456)	(1,422)	(1,789)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and restricted cash	0	0	0
Change in cash and restricted cash	(11)	(14)	(82)
Cash and restricted cash at beginning of year	20	34	116
Change in cash of businesses held for sale					0	0
Cash and restricted cash at end of year	9	20	34
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents, Including Disposal Group and Discontinued Operations [Abstract]
Cash				9	20	34
Total cash and restricted cash shown in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows	20	20	34	9	20	34	116
Interest:
Third party	(48)	(48)	(52)
Intercompany	(1)	(1)	0
Taxes:
Income tax authorities	0	0	0
Intercompany	0	0	0
Other Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	1,651	(6,659)	3,634
Cash flows from investing activities:
Sales of investments	59,918	74,477	80,453
Sale of divested businesses, net	10	752	649
Purchase of investments	(59,778)	(64,539)	(80,668)
Loans to subsidiaries - net	(90)	63	(3)
Contributions from (to) subsidiaries - net	0	0	0
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash and restricted cash acquired	(354)
Net change in short-term investments	(9)	104	(1,919)
Other, net	273	(1,955)	(879)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(30)	8,902	(2,367)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Issuance of long-term debt	2,264	1,851	2,123
Repayments of long-term debt	(1,829)	(1,974)	(2,023)
Purchase of common stock	0	0	0
Intercompany loans - net	(868)	(199)	(1,522)
Cash dividends paid	(3,485)	(1,186)	(2,228)
Other, net	2,812	(200)	2,799
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(1,106)	(1,708)	(851)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and restricted cash	(11)	(29)	55
Change in cash and restricted cash	504	506	471
Cash and restricted cash at beginning of year	2,709	2,070	1,706
Change in cash of businesses held for sale					133	(107)
Cash and restricted cash at end of year	3,213	2,709	2,070
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents, Including Disposal Group and Discontinued Operations [Abstract]
Cash				2,853	2,339	1,832
Total cash and restricted cash shown in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows	2,709	2,709	2,070	3,213	2,709	2,070	1,706
Interest:
Third party	(333)	(286)	(304)
Intercompany	0	1	(2)
Taxes:
Income tax authorities	(122)	(215)	(478)
Intercompany	(895)	(614)	(479)
Other assets
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents, Including Disposal Group and Discontinued Operations [Abstract]
Short-term investments, restricted cash				343	317
Other assets | AIG (As Guarantor)
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents, Including Disposal Group and Discontinued Operations [Abstract]
Short-term investments, restricted cash				1	1	1
Other assets | AIGLH
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents, Including Disposal Group and Discontinued Operations [Abstract]
Short-term investments, restricted cash				0	0	0
Other assets | Other Subsidiaries
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents, Including Disposal Group and Discontinued Operations [Abstract]
Short-term investments, restricted cash				342	316	192
Short-term investments
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents, Including Disposal Group and Discontinued Operations [Abstract]
Short-term investments, restricted cash				142	58
Short-term investments | AIG (As Guarantor)
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents, Including Disposal Group and Discontinued Operations [Abstract]
Short-term investments, restricted cash				124	4	0
Short-term investments | AIGLH
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents, Including Disposal Group and Discontinued Operations [Abstract]
Short-term investments, restricted cash				0	0	0
Short-term investments | Other Subsidiaries
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents, Including Disposal Group and Discontinued Operations [Abstract]
Short-term investments, restricted cash				18	54	46
United Guaranty Corporation [Member]
Non-cash financing and investing activities:
Non-cash consideration received from sale	0	0	1,101
Reclassification and Eliminations
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(5,947)	(2,608)	(3,951)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Sales of investments	(3,206)	(3,758)	(11,685)
Sale of divested businesses, net	0	0	0
Purchase of investments	3,206	3,758	11,685
Loans to subsidiaries - net	(778)	(262)	(1,522)
Contributions from (to) subsidiaries - net	(1)	(2,446)	(1,637)
Net change in short-term investments	0	0	0
Other, net	0	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(779)	(2,708)	(3,159)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Issuance of long-term debt	0
Repayments of long-term debt	0	0	0
Purchase of common stock	0	0	0
Intercompany loans - net	778	262	1,522
Cash dividends paid	5,947	2,608	3,951
Other, net	1	2,446	1,637
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	6,726	5,316	7,110
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents, Including Disposal Group and Discontinued Operations [Abstract]
Cash				$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Interest:
Third party	0	0	0
Intercompany	0	0	0
Taxes:
Income tax authorities	0	0	0
Intercompany	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0