DEBT (Details - Total debt outstanding) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 31,640	$ 30,912
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	31,640	30,912
2018	2,285
2019	1,263
2020	1,488
2021	1,917
2022	1,554
Thereafter	17,104
Long-term debt excluding borrowings of consolidated investments	25,611
Uncollateralized and collateralized notes, bonds, loans and mortgages payable	524
Collateral posted	2,900	4,500
Uncollateralized Notes/Bonds/Loans Payable
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	334
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	334
Collateralized Loans and Mortgages Payable
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	190
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	190
AIGLH
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	642	642
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	642	642
AIG
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	21,557	21,405
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	21,557	21,405
AIG | Series AIGFP
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	21	31
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	21	31
AIG | MIP
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	356	1,099
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	356	1,099
Other Subsidiaries
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	9,441	8,865
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	9,441	8,865
Notes and bonds payable | AIG
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	20,339	19,432
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	20,339	19,432
Junior subordinated debt | AIG
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	841	843
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	841	843
Other subsidiaries notes, bonds, loans and mortgages payable
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	190
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	190
2018	190
2019	0
2020	0
2021	0
2022	0
Thereafter	0
Other subsidiaries notes, bonds, loans and mortgages payable | Other Subsidiaries
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Uncollateralized and collateralized notes, bonds, loans and mortgages payable	190
Other subsidiaries notes, bonds, loans and mortgages payable | Other Subsidiaries | Uncollateralized Notes/Bonds/Loans Payable
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	0
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	0
Other subsidiaries notes, bonds, loans and mortgages payable | Other Subsidiaries | Collateralized Loans and Mortgages Payable
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	190
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	190
Debt issued or guaranteed
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	25,421	25,806
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	25,421	25,806
2018	2,095
2019	1,263
2020	1,488
2021	1,917
2022	1,554
Thereafter	17,104
Uncollateralized Notes/Bonds/Loans Payable
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	22,156	21,247
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	22,156	21,247
2018	1,107
2019	998
2020	1,458
2021	1,715
2022	1,507
Thereafter	15,371
Uncollateralized Notes/Bonds/Loans Payable | AIG
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Uncollateralized and collateralized notes, bonds, loans and mortgages payable	334
Uncollateralized Notes/Bonds/Loans Payable | AIG | Uncollateralized Notes/Bonds/Loans Payable
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	334
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	334
Uncollateralized Notes/Bonds/Loans Payable | AIG | Collateralized Loans and Mortgages Payable
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	0
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	0
Uncollateralized Notes/Bonds/Loans Payable | Notes and bonds payable
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 20,339	19,432
Debt Instrument, Maturity, Start year	2018
Debt Instrument, Maturity, End Year	2097
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	$ 20,339	19,432
2018	1,107
2019	998
2020	1,343
2021	1,496
2022	1,507
Thereafter	$ 13,888
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 | Notes and bonds payable | AIGLH
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 281	281
Debt Instrument, Maturity, Start year	2025
Debt Instrument, Maturity, End Year	2029
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	$ 281	281
Thereafter	$ 281
Uncollateralized Notes/Bonds/Loans Payable | Notes and bonds payable | AIGLH | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percent)	7.50%
Uncollateralized Notes/Bonds/Loans Payable | Notes and bonds payable | AIGLH | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percent)	6.63%
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
2018	0
2019	0
Uncollateralized Notes/Bonds/Loans Payable | Junior subordinated debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 841	843
Debt Instrument, Maturity, Start year	2037
Debt Instrument, Maturity, End Year	2058
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	$ 841	843
Thereafter	$ 841
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 | Junior subordinated debt | 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
Thereafter	$ 361
Uncollateralized Notes/Bonds/Loans Payable | Junior subordinated debt | AIGLH | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percent)	8.50%
Uncollateralized Notes/Bonds/Loans Payable | Junior subordinated debt | AIGLH | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percent)	7.57%
Uncollateralized Notes/Bonds/Loans Payable | AIG Japan Holdings Kabushiki Kaisha
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 334	330
Debt Instrument, Maturity, Start year	2020
Debt Instrument, Maturity, End Year	2021
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	$ 334	330
2018	0
2019	0
2020	115
2021	219
2022	$ 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	$ 3,265	4,559
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	3,265	4,559
2018	988
2019	265
2020	30
2021	202
2022	47
Thereafter	1,733
Collateral posted	2,000	2,200
Borrowings supported by assets | Notes and bonds payable
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 181	494
Debt Instrument, Maturity, Start year	2018
Debt Instrument, Maturity, End Year	2040
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	$ 181	494
2018	126
2019	0
2020	0
2021	0
2022	0
Thereafter	$ 55
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	32
Debt Instrument, Maturity, Start year	2046
Debt Instrument, Maturity, End Year	2047
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	$ 21	32
2018	0
2019	0
2020	0
2021	0
2022	0
Thereafter	$ 21
Borrowings supported by assets | Notes and bonds payable | Series AIGFP | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percent)	1.30%
Borrowings supported by assets | Notes and bonds payable | Series AIGFP | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percent)	1.21%
Borrowings supported by assets | MIP notes payable
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 356	1,099
Debt Instrument, Maturity, End Year	2018
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	$ 356	1,099
2018	$ 356
Borrowings supported by assets | MIP notes payable | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percent)	2.95%
Borrowings supported by assets | MIP notes payable | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percent)	2.72%
Borrowings supported by assets | GIAs
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 2,707	2,934
Debt Instrument, Maturity, Start year	2018
Debt Instrument, Maturity, End Year	2053
Interest rate (as a percent)	7.62%
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	$ 2,707	2,934
2018	506
2019	265
2020	30
2021	202
2022	47
Thereafter	$ 1,657
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	$ 6,219	5,106
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	6,219	5,106
Debt not guaranteed | Other subsidiaries notes, bonds, loans and mortgages payable
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 190	735
Debt Instrument, Maturity, End Year	2018
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	$ 190	735
Debt not guaranteed | Other subsidiaries notes, bonds, loans and mortgages payable | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percent)	1.57%
Debt not guaranteed | Other subsidiaries notes, bonds, loans and mortgages payable | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percent)	1.40%
Debt not guaranteed | Debt of consolidated investments
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 6,029	4,371
Debt Instrument, Maturity, Start year	2018
Debt Instrument, Maturity, End Year	2065
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	$ 6,029	4,371
Debt not guaranteed | Debt of consolidated investments | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate (as a percent)	9.31%
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	$ 2,500	1,900
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	2,500	1,900
Debt not guaranteed | Debt of consolidated investments | Affordable Housing Partnership [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	1,800	1,700
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	1,800	1,700
Debt not guaranteed | Debt of consolidated investments | Other
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	1,700	771
Maturities of long-term debt, excluding borrowings of consolidated investments
Total	$ 1,700	$ 771